Old West
by Inuzuka Akari
Summary: While Haruka tries to earn a living, she meets up with a Governor's daughter. Just how well will things go for the drifter when she becomes too involved with her? Old friends come in handy in the most unlikely situations as fate weaves the tale. H
1. Pony Express

Author Note : I do not have any rights to any of the Sailor Moon characters. They officially belong to Naoko Takeuchi. All other characters are of my own creation. Some famous outlaw names or other famous names may appear, they are only in reference to the old west legends and lore.

While many people tended to keep congregated in the northern states of America, quite a few individuals found it necessary to move as far away from those towns as humanly possible and went west. Among the trails came many trials but people eventually managed to tame some parts of the west for the sake of forgetting just where they had come from in the first place. It was nothing different for a woman who seemed to show out of thin air one day claiming to want to work for the Pony Express. The short blonde haired individual , who the owner thought was male, claimed to be fast on a mustang horse and was quite stern on wanting the job that had opened up in part of an Indian attack killing one of the man's best riders the week before. He grumbled a bit smoking his cigar on the porch of his mail establishment and glanced the young kid over calmly with green eyes. He didn't seem like anything fancy in a pair of old tattered kneed jeans with a black western shirt on his back. The brown duster the kid wore was also rather worn down and torn. "I don't know kid, you ain't exactly rider material to me." he grumbled firmly.

"You haven't seen me ride so how can you make that assumption?" remarked the blonde calmly raising a brow.

A rider who happened to be tending to her horse snickered faintly only causing her boss to glare down toward her. She looked straight toward him and dropped the reigns to her ebony horse. The woman walked forward leaving her horse ground tied and adjusted the ebony hat upon her head gazing in the direction of the blonde with calm light blue eyes. It only took her a moment to take her own guess of the rider's skills from just looking at her but she soon took a moment to turn her attention back up to her employer.

"Now boss, you can't be that irrational. Give the newbie a chance, Mr. Dobson." murmured the rider calmly.

The older gentleman was not amused whatsoever by the input of his employee and snapped. "Shut up, Hawkins. This isn't your place."

"It may not be, but you have to give this rider a fair shot like ya did with the rest of us." she retorted coldly.

The blonde tried her best not to give off a smirk at the bickering going on in front of her at the time, but Haruka was finding it extremely difficult to keep that front up. Eventually after a much heated argument and debate, the man allowed the blonde to ride and show her skills racing the woman he had been arguing with to see who was the faster rider. It didn't take long for the woman who Haruka only knew as Hawkins to loose the race and only laugh upon catching up to her horse in the end.

"Not a bad I was right on the guess you'd be a damn good rider."she murmured calmly extending out a leather gloved hand toward the blonde. "Name's Jacklyn Hawkins but feel free to just call be Jak."

"Name's Haruka. Thanks for getting on the old man's nerves enough to give me a shot at this. I appreciate it, Jak." remarked the blonde smoothly.

It wasn't often the young eighteen year old blonde relied on another individual but it seemed in the moment that Jak became an ally to her when she least expected it. She was going to remember about returning the favor in many years to come. For the time being however, she was going to work as hard as any other Pony Express rider did in order to keep money in her pocket for longer than a few days at a time. The last job the blonde woman had managed to sink her fingers into didn't last but three days when her employer cut her off and kicked her out. Someone had been stealing supplies from his general store and he decided it was her without having any sort of proof. Since then, Haruka had been searching for a job she was skilled at and riding a horse was the best skill set she had and seemed to be the only one.

It didn't take long for her to learn more skills however as time started to go by as she worked. Jak wasn't about to let the blonde take on a dangerous route on her own until she learned quite a few more skills in order to survive. After a few rides to a few neighboring towns to deliver the mail one evening, Hawkins pulled Haruka aside after putting their horses up for the night. Nothing occurred to the blonde to become cautious or wary around the other individual as the two were growing to become close friends.

"There's something I want to teach you before you start taking the longer routes out into tribal grounds in this western country, Haruka." started Jak calmly, "Hold out your hands a moment for me."

The blonde did as instructed and was soon met with a set of pistols in her rough hands. Her dark green eyes scanned over the weapons in her hands and slowly looked upward toward the rider. She looked confused as to what Jak was going to make her do but it didn't take her long for it all to sink it. "You want me to use these?"

"Damn right I do. However, I want you to see how the pistols fit in your hands first. If one feels better in one particular hand, that will be your main gun hand, but I want to teach you how to use both in case something were to happen."

"And just how do you suppose a person without any experience is going to become a good gun?" inquired the blonde sounding rather skeptical.

"Simple, you take instructions from one of the faster guns around." responded the amused teacher. The look on the younger woman's face only caused Jak to chuckle a little before she turned to an old wooden fence. She walked away from Haruka and took the time to set up twelve cans to prove her point to her new found student. The woman soon returned alongside the blonde and took the time to flick back both sides of the long black duster she had on.

"And just how fast can you get those cans down, anyways?I doubt you can be that fast." murmured Haruka calmly. She wasn't expecting all the cans to fall with a mere twelve shots from both six shooters her companion had on her sides. Everyone had to miss with one or two bullets at least. Right?

Jak smirked softly before flexing out her fingertips on each hand watching the cans. When she made her move, Haruka did her best not to blink as the guns from the woman's sides flew out of their holsters and shot from the hip on either side of her to each can in sequence. First the left gun would fire before the right until the very last can was shot with the final bullet from the left forty-five pistol. The cans flew up off the rail and fell to the ground with a hole in the center of each one of them but before the last one hit the ground, the guns were back in their holsters leaving the blonde with her jaw agape.

"Prove my point to ya, Blondy?" grinned Jak.

Haruka managed a nod after a few more moments of staring at the wounded containers on the ground. The firing didn't take any longer than three seconds to level the targets and she couldn't figure out how the woman was that accurate a shot. "How did you get that damned good?"

"Practice, Haruka. Now, I want you to practice drawing those guns and pulling the hammer back when you draw em out. Then I want you to point the barrel at your target without using the sights on the gun but rather with your eyes. After that, I want you to squeeze the trigger but until I say you are ready, your guns will be unloaded while you practice the sequence."

The blonde looked like the woman had sprouted a second head for a moment before glancing to the two pistols still in her hands. It was then she realized they were unloaded noticing no bullets in the chambers she could see with the naked eye. She had to give the woman credit. Jak knew how to keep a rookie from blowing her foot off within the first five seconds of holding a gun. The blonde finally gave a nod to the other woman and moved to set the cans up on the fence rail before beginning her practice.

Jak smirked a bit watching as the blonde learned the function of the spare pistols she had been given and eventually moved off to the hay loft to get some sleep leaving the student on her own. _'Let's see what this kid really has. I'm sure she'll learn pretty quick on how to use those two six shooters. Only time will tell if she'll really figure out why I told her practice as I have.'_ thought the slightly older woman as she climbed on up to bed. Eventually she found her blanket located over a busted bale of hay on the loft and moved on over resting her body once her holster was laid beside her bed.

With no one else around, Haruka kept practicing until the sun went completely down and there was no available light. Her thumbs were sore from the first time of pulling the hammers back on the pistols threatening to callous over. While in the back of her mind she knew it was worth continuing, her body just wanted to get some sleep for the evening. She sighed a bit managing to slip the pistols into her belt of her jeans while entering the barn to get some much needed rest after practicing for an hour and a half. The next time she got a pay check, she planned on getting herself a holster for those guns as she was bound and determined to use them in order to gain more freedom to ride. It was the whole reason she had gone out west along with some other issues she was not about to bring up to anyone. While her hands remained sore for the night, it didn't seem to bother her as she finally found herself a bed of hay bales to lay on where she promptly found herself asleep.


	2. Route Stop

Over the course of two months, the blonde had landed herself a rather enjoyable job as a rider and also had gained the gun skills she needed in order to take on harder routes. The first month working she spent as much free time as she could going over Jak's instructions with the pistols. After the second week, the callouses on her thumbs began to lessen and harden which allowed the blonde to handle practicing for longer periods of time growing faster on her draw. The woman could pull her guns out and fire them off rather quickly practicing on firing six times with each pistol the last two weeks of the first month. Beginning on the second month, Jak had noticed the callouses on the hands of the other rider and finally caught Haruka's attention after she returned from a run into the nearest town.

"Blondy, catch." murmured the woman as she threw a box of shells in the direction of the mounted rider. Haruka rose in her saddle standing in the stirrups and managed to catch the box before realizing what they were and smirked a bit. "Don't look at me like that, kid. Go start firing at the targets with those bullets and prove to me your worthy to start riding the harsher routes we riders take." she grumbled.

It didn't take long for the woman to ride her horse around into the barn to get him taken care of after that. She was a bit curious to see just how that kind of practice would pay off with the guns actually loaded for the first time. Her tack had been removed off the horse and she moved to brush him down before leaving him in a stall to pick at a bit of hay. The animal needed to cool down quite a bit before she would dare give him water knowing full well the ill effects that would have on the beast. Once her saddle and reigns were put up with the others, she grabbed her holster out of the saddlebags and calmly put it on glancing down to see how it felt. The way the holster and guns felt around her waist only made her more at ease on keeping them on her in the future.

She started practicing firing off the gun that night for a solid hour going through the box of shells in the process. While the practicing she did truly did increase her accuracy of hitting the targets, her wrists had to make the adjustments of the guns recoil. The first few times she shot but not in the center of the can but she still hit them nonetheless either to the far left or far right corners. She cursed in a bit of frustration but she would soon fix that error in her shooting with the next box of shells she got her hands on. Time and time again the blonde would practice and eventually she became deadly accurate after the fifth box of shells she went through. It seemed the way Jak had explained how to shoot had rubbed off well on the young student showing she could handle shooting well at the end of the second month. With that, Dobson gave her more freedom to take some of the harder routes on the mail runs.

The blonde rider and her mustang took numerous letters to dispatch camps for the Calvary and United States army at times when her routes took in in fort location areas. She was one of the fastest riders some of the men had seen in a long time though they all thought the rider was male like Dobson did. Most of the time it never bothered her since no man bothered to harass her as much as other women when she decided to stay in small towns over night on long extended trips. Matter of fact, she had gotten stuck needing to rest her rather exhausted horse in a small town which was slowly being settled into by quite a few people from the east of the country. It didn't take the woman long to figure that one out as she noticed how the majority of the people dressed. The men seemed to enjoy flaunting their wealth with their suites made of fine material while the women were content in their elaborate dresses walking the boardwalks from shop to shop gathering up some minor place got Haruka's blood to curl as she remembered the exact reason she had left the eastern part of the United States in the first place.

Grumbling a bit beneath her breath, she spurred her horse turning him to walk toward the nearest livery stable where she took liberty of dismounting. The rider took the time to let a reign drop before stretching out her rather sore legs from beneath the chaps and black jeans she took a habit of wearing. The chaps were a bit scrapped up but otherwise in decent shape as they did their job protecting the rider from thorns and other slicing debris. She finally stood straight and grabbed the reign off the ground only moving into the stables to find the owner.

"Excuse me, sir? Are you by chance the owner of this here stable?" she inquired toward a short and balding individual who was half asleep on a bale of hay. It didn't take much for him to stir as Haruka's horse snorted rather loudly. The action sent the man in a flurry of motion before he froze noticing the odd rider in front of him with a horse who looked like he had done enough running for the day.

"Course I am, mister. I take it you want to leave him here over night?" he finally murmured showing a southern accent.

"Yes sir, I do. However, I was wondering if perhaps I could use the loft to sleep in for the evening as well. You see I have a habit of not leaving my horse along on his own at night."

The man sighed before looking the person over in front of him again. It wasn't often he got odd requests from an owner to stay in his stable over night with their animals but he figured he could allow it. He gave a calm nod toward Haruka showing he was fine with her staying in the loft. "Just make sure you pay for any hay you use along with the boarding fee for the evening of five dollars. Each hay bale will cost ya a dollar."

Haruka gave a calm nod herself before reaching into her back pocket behind the tattered and weather worn brown duster of hers. She removed her wallet and handed the man six dollars knowing she'd be using a bale of hay to feed her horse. He took it without complaint and watched her as she walked to the back of the stables picking out a stall to put her buckskin mustang up for the night. It didn't take the rider long at all to remove her saddle and other items off her horse only to carry them up into the loft with her where she would use them later on that evening. Once she had a spot settled out with loose hay and had her sleeping bag set up underneath her saddle, she turned on her booted heels and climbed back down the ladder and left the barn for a short while needing herself a drink for the night. Even a Pony Express rider found themselves thirsty for a drink now and then and it didn't take her long to find the nearest saloon.

She pushed the door aside and walked into the establishment immediately wishing she hadn't upon seeing the amount of gentlemanly figures at the majority of the tables. In the pit of her stomach she could feel that the night was not going to end well for her if she didn't manage to behave somewhat. She cursed beneath her breath before approaching the bar counter noticing quite a lot of eyes on her. The citizens of the town must not have been used to seeing drifters or people like her move through the town much as she seemed to cause quite a stir amongst the other patrons. Haruka merely ignored the chatter and simply kept walking allowing her spurs to sound off with each step her black boots took. Reaching the bar, she put her arm against it before taking a seat on a stool calmly ignoring the sideways glance from the bartender on he far right. Another tender turned from facing the numerous array of bottles only to turn and spot the man sitting on the stool with a dark cowboy hat upon his head.

"What will it be, sir?" asked the bar tender calmly while cleaning a shot glass with a clean cloth.

"I'll take a shot of whiskey." responded Haruka calmly having gotten used to being called sir.

The bar tender turned and moved to grab a bottle only to get a hand on his shoulder from the other individual behind the bar working. He sent a wary glance back toward the drifter a moment before looking down to his friend. The exchanged some minor heated words from what Haruka could make out but she noticed the one with a slightly curly mustache back off to the other end of the bar where he had been when she walked in. The other tender with a slightly gray head of hair returned with a shot glass and filled it full with the whiskey leaving the bottle out for the woman to use to her leisure.

She gave him a nod of thanks before placing a few coins on the bar surface paying for a few small shots while she was there. After downing the first shot, she shivered inwardly from the hot and strong liquid going down into her gullet. It was certainly an acquired taste that was for certain but the blonde got used to the sensation after having another shot. While she enjoyed the minor time ignoring the company within the fancy saloon, her ears couldn't help but pick up a particularly strange sound from within a saloon. Then again it probably wasn't as strange since the establishment was an upper class kind of place so perhaps the sound of a violin playing was quite a custom to the normal patrons of the bar. Nonetheless, the sound caught the attention to the wandering rider and she soon rose from the stool to look for the player of such entrancing music.


	3. Meeting the Governor's Daughter

The music seemed to echo all through the lower levels and up to the higher ones as well as the source of the entrancing tune merely stood in play upon the stage in the far back where many upper classed people were seated. The violinist didn't seem to pay much mind to the array of senators watching her play her instrument. Her attention was on her music instead of the crowd her father had brought together for the evening to discuss politics due to the upcoming elections for governor for the state of Kansas. While she often tried to play people over with kind words and good behavior, deep down she hated the political scene and wanted out of it. Sadly for Michiru, she was stuck in her predicament having been forced by her father to play once again for a special audience. She had lost count of how many times she had become a source of amusement and a source to break the ice with her father's employees and business associates. It was growing on her nerves but she never showed it out right.

Finishing up her song, she finally took the time to open her dark blue eyes and scan the crowd slowly for a moment. A mental check list was soon being worked through as she glanced from face to face to see if anyone around the place was new to her. It didn't take her long to spot an odd individual at the bar seemingly staring in her general direction. It caused the usual fake smiling woman to have a genuine smirk slowly crossing across her lips. Michiru took the time to move off the stage to put her beloved instrument away before deciding to slink away to investigate the new face for her own curiosity and sanity as well. Somehow she managed to mingle well with the other patrons at the upscale saloon before making her over toward where Haruka was seated soon noticing the stranger had gone back to his drinks. Of course with the amount of baggy clothing the woman wore, it was natural for even the violinist to assume what was not always true.

Glancing up to the mirror behind the bar, it didn't take the rider long to notice a beauty moving toward her direction. The woman's reflection revealed to the drifter long dark sea green hair along with deep ocean blue eyes, however that wasn't what first caught the blonde's attention. It was the simple fact the woman was wearing a dark emerald dress that seemed to fit every curve the right way. Clearing her throat rather quickly hearing the sound of high heels clicking on the wooden floor, Haruka poured a quick shot and downed her fourth drink not needing a slip of the tongue to dig herself a hole in the strange town she had found herself staying in for at least a night.

"I haven't seen you around here before. You must be new to Dodge." murmured Michiru softly toward the drifter.

Haruka blinked a bit before registering that she was in fact speaking with her. Turning, she looked the woman in the eyes with dark green ones. "Yeah, I'm not staying too long though. I have work I need to get back to in the morning."

This caught the violinist's attention and only caused her to pose more questions toward the one she assumed was male. "Oh really now? Just what is it that is your job then?"

"I'm a Pony Express rider, Ma'am." Haruka answered calmly reaching behind her duster into her chest pocket of the coat to remove the badge soon showing it to her. Often than not, people believed her to be lying as she didn't seem like a quick enough rider like William Cody. She often had to show the badge to prove she was in fact not a liar. After holding it out for a good period of time of five seconds, the woman calmly placed the badge back into it's place safe inside a buttoned chest pocket of her beaten down duster.

"Oh, so you are. Must be rather exciting, no?" Michiru grinned. The rider had gotten her full attention but whether or not that was a good thing had yet to be noticed.

"It can be at times. I'm not going to lie but it's not as poetic as it sounds either." explained the rider calmly soon moving away from the bar. "Perhaps you'd like to sit at one of the tables and carry this conversation on?"

The blue eyed woman soon smiled and gave a soft nod before walking with the gentleman to one of the empty tables which just so happened to be in eye shot of Michiru's father. She took the time to simply escape from her normal world to enjoy a story from a traveling rider who she quickly found herself wanting to learn more about in order to keep away from her father's business arrangements for that evening. Her attention was all on this mysterious figure that had wandered into Dodge City. While the town could often be riddled with some risky characters, some locations in the city were more high classed and often was not seen with the likes of trouble makers.

Haruka on the other hand was keeping her emerald eyes on everything within the room and noticing just where everyone was. Turning to look back toward Michiru, she grabbed a chair pulling it out for the woman. Michiru smiled and gave a look of thanks to the drifter as she took the offered seat. She had not been expecting such manners from someone that looked like they just crawled out of a trail run. It was a rather interesting change of events but she was focused on learning about this man.

"So, may I get your name? You have me curious about you yet again, Stranger." murmured the gowned woman.

"My name is Haruka. There really isn't much to be curious about, Miss. I'm just a rider and I tend to stick to myself." explained the blonde calmly.

"Surely you must have some tales venturing through Indian lands."

"I can tell you it's not easy getting through Indian territories fully intact. I just grit my teeth, spur my horse and pray to god I make it through before I become an arrow coated pin cushion."

The governor's daughter chuckled at the explanation and image the rider had given her. So this Haruka fellow did have a sense of humor after all. Michiru was grateful for that as many of the conversations she had in the past few days involved dry stuck up government officials. The woman never could stand stiffs like that at all so it was refreshing to speak with someone new who seemed to travel quite a bit. It gave her a perspective away from the hell she was stuck with for the time being at least. Unfortunately, it wasn't going to last as a figure from the political group noticed just where Governor Kaioh's daughter was and who she was seated beside. He slowly made his way to their table and interrupted their conversation quite clearly by clearing his throat. The blonde glanced up keeping her hands visible not wishing to cause any problems for the moment at least.

The gentleman leaned down and glared toward Haruka. "I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to step away from Miss Kaioh, sir."

"May I ask as to why? Oh wait, let me take a simple guess and assume it's due to my attire? You must think me a murderer or something to that effect?" the blonde growled.

Michiru grew a bit tense but she was faintly amused to see how the situation would play itself out. The Pony Express rider wasn't about to be showed away so rudely and she calmly rose standing at her full height allowing her duster to shift a bit behind her. Her green eyes narrowed on the man but it seemed he was growing fearful and he quickly went to grab Michiru's arm. He grabbed a bit to hard which only caused Michiru to grimace and get up half tempted to smack the man but knew better. The gentleman was one of her father's bodyguards and therefore was one of hers by association. Noticing the treatment of Michiru, Haruka struck out with a hand grabbing the man's tie and hoisted him up faintly off the balls of his feet forward toward her.

"I suggest you ease up on your hold on her, mister." snarled Haruka. If it was one thing she hated about men it was their manners toward women the majority of the time.

"Let me go!" snapped the male releasing Michiru only to belt Haruka across the mouth.

The sound of a fist connecting with skin sent a chill up the ocean blue eyed girl's spine. She quickly moved to the side of Haruka as the blonde collided with the floor roughly. Upon hitting the floor however, the man that struck her realized that the drifter was not a man at all but rather a female. The governor's daughter quickly moved onto her knees alongside Haruka who was slowly sitting up touching her bloody lip.

"You fucking asshole...I just try to defend her honor and you blind side me." growled the blonde before feeling something soft to her bleeding lip. It took her a moment to register the handkerchief dabbing at the wound. "Thank you, Miss Kaioh but you may wish to step back a moment."

The rider slowly got up off the ground only to take a few steps forward away from Michiru to keep her out of harm's way. The gentleman remained where he was but was quick to aim another fist in the woman's direction having a feeling she was about to hurt him something fierce. As his fist went toward her face, she dodged and ducked only sending a sharp fist blow to his gut. The blow sent all the air out of his lungs and opened himself up to being grabbed by the back of the jacket and pants he wore. One minute the man had his feet on the floor, the next he was airborne for a time only to slam right through one of the fancy tables causing a stir with the governor finally taking notice of all the commotion.

"Now, I suggest you stay the hell where you are, mister, before you try and man handled a woman of Miss Kaioh's stature again." grumbled the blonde who turned to offer a hand to Michiru to help her to her feet.

The woman took the extended rough hand and slowly got to her feet before moving in close to Haruka. She raised a hand to softly touch the swelling lip of the now known female rider. Haruka tried to avoid the touch but remained still knowing full well the girl wouldn't harm her in the least. After all, she was merely trying to stop the blood from drifting as well as inspecting the injury. Sighing, the blonde finally looked down into the ocean blue eyes of hers and she managed a faint smile trying to put her at ease as to what had happened until a crowd formed around the rider. The political figures had walked right over to where the duo stood after seeing a colleague go for the ride of his life into a solid table. The way their features were fixed it seemed they were not impressed and were rather appalled at what had happened though they were placing the blame all on Haruka.

"Step away from my daughter this instance!" boomed a deep and rumbling voice. The man it belonged to slowly made his way forward until his dark brown eyes were visible to the Pony Express rider. Governor Kaioh was a tall man nearly standing at six foot two inches high but he was built rather strongly as well from what the blonde could see. It was obvious to everyone within the saloon he was not happy and was boiling mad as he grabbed his daughter's right wrist and jerked her away from the stranger.

"I don't know who you think you are throwing one of my men through a ta-" he was quickly cut off.

"Governor, sir, I had every right to throw him through that table as he was rough handling your daughter. I did no wrong just minding my business and entertaining her with a few stories of my travels. I was civil with her and anything but disrespectful like that bastard." retorted Haruka swiftly. She wasn't about to stand there and get scolded like some child without defending herself. They were all lucky the bodyguard didn't get too much rougher with Michiru or else the undertaker would be prying him out of the wooden debris pile his unconscious body was dreaming in.

Glaring toward the blonde, the man balled his hands into tight clenched fists. "Nonetheless I don't take kindly to people in your social standings, mister."

"For your information you old bat, I'm a female." countered Haruka before clutching her own hands into fists. It was taking everything in her not to deck the woman's old man right then and there. Something deep down was keeping her patience at bay long enough to buy the man time. After all, decking such a highly known figure in a state wasn't the brightest idea for anyone to have. Her statement seemed to have merit as the Governor took a second look over of the rider in front of him. He never would have realized Haruka was a woman if she hadn't had admitted it to his face when she did. Unfortunately, his tempter flared at being insulted for the last time by such a low ranked individual.

"Someone go get the Marshall. I want this no good drifter locked up for the night." he snapped darkly. One of the men nearest the doors bolted out of the building and down the street to go and fetch the Marshall. All the while, Michiru looked helplessly to Haruka for a moment trying to figure out just how to help her case. She wasn't guilty of being arrested for anything except having a low and colorful vocabulary for a governmental figure to observe.

"Father, you can't arrest her for standing up for me. She did the right thing as mark was hurting me. He forced me away when I was just talking with that Pony Express rider." remarked Michiru quickly trying to say something before being silence by a dark glare from those brown eyes of her father. Mentally cursing, the elegant woman glanced toward Haruka with an apologetic look in her eyes. Haruka noticed it and gave a mild nod in her direction before folding her arms in front of her small chest noticing a bit of blood on the gray button down shirt she had on. She wasn't about to flee as that would just make whoever the Marshall was more suspicious and give them better cause of holding her for longer than hopefully a night.

"Jak's just gonna love hearing this..." grumbled the blonde beneath her breath and she closed her green eyes.


	4. Prisoner of Circumstance

The runner who bolted off to grab the Marshall quickly navigated the street and store walks to the right side of town before coming to a stop outside of the jail doors. He slammed his fist against the door knocking for a few times before trying to knob of the door finding it unlocked. Quickly stepping inside, he panted a bit before spotting the acting sheriff working on paper work on the desk near a wood stove in the front right corner of the jail house.

"Marshall, the Governor is callin for ya." murmured the young man.

The Marshall gave a calm nod before rising from the desk as the young man bolted out of the jail house. The law enforcement officer had been an acting United States Marshall for close to four years and was highly skilled for her position. The people of Dodge gave the job of sheriff to the emerald haired woman after she had successfully scared off a gang of ten riders from destroying the town and killing any innocent lives. Due to the sudden acquiring of the job, it didn't take long for Dodge to start shaping up into a law abiding town. There were always going to be those the test the brass of Marshall Meioh, but the woman was prepared to handle any challenge thrown her way.

She sighed reaching out a hand to grab her ebony hat and gray short coat knowing it was going to be interesting. It wasn't very often she was called for personally by such a high official of the government to handle a matter. In a matter of a few minutes, the tall female stepped inside the saloon with her pistol on her left hip and her red eyes scanning the crowd. It didn't take long for her to piece together what had transpired seeing two men work on prying an unconscious body from a splintered table. Those crimson eyes of hers also took in the details of the stranger in town that seemed to have caused the problem from the looks of their face. Stepping passed a few more curious drinkers by the bar, Setsuna approached Haruka and raised a brow at the slightly shorter female.

Haruka remained at ease noticing the Marshall moving closer to her though was intrigued that it was in fact another woman. It caused a very faint smirk to cross her lips before she raised a hand slowly to rub the busted lower lip she had. The blood had stopped flowing so freely but she had tucked away the handkerchief Michiru had given to her to tend to the injury. Giving a sideways glance to the law woman, the blonde calmly complied without having to be asked knowing the look in those strange eyes of hers. Her hands progressed carefully to the gun belt buckle of hers only to undo it and hand it over to the official.

"Smart woman knowing what to do without me having to waste my breath. Impressive in a way but I'm afraid you'll have to pay restitution for the damages." murmured the Marshall coldly.

"I expected that however, I merely acted out for the lady's best interest. If you look to her upper right arm, you'll eventually spot a bruise from how hard that man was squeezing her to pull her away from me. I did no wrong other than act in self defense as he swung first. He merely started the dance, I on the other hand finished it quickly to avoid any other trouble." explained the blonde.

The Marshall raised a brow for a moment only to look toward the bar tenders. They were probably the only ones without much of a bias toward people like Haruka and she soon took the time to walk to the men to question them. It didn't take long for the gray haired man to give his version of the story saying that the woman was right in her explanation. Satisfied, the Marshall walked back over toward the governor and the crowd while taking the moment to clear her throat.

"Well folks, it seems the woman here did act in self defense since the man swung the first blow from what that tender was telling me. Unfortunately for you, miss, you'll need to come with me for the night as you did quite a number on owner's business." she remarked only to reach for Haruka's upper left arm.

The rider allowed the law official to do her job and didn't argue knowing that would only dig a bigger hole for her to climb out of later on. Her eyes turned toward Michiru a moment before she was lead outside toward the jail house by Setsuna. The rider soon noticed the hold loosen and before too long the hand had been removed and she simply kept walking alongside the Marshall without any sort of restrictions.

"Why do you seem to trust me like this? I'm a stranger to you ain't I?" grumbled Haruka.

"Yes, but I do believe what you said. I'm merely taking you out of the temper range of the governor so he can cool his hot head down for the evening. He doesn't take rough houser too well nor others who seem to spend time with his daughter either." explained the taller woman.

"I was only entertaining her with explaining who I was to her a bit. There was no harm done with it, except for my jaw and a table."

"Nonetheless, it's been a while since I've seen the governor that furious. He was probably more frustrated with his daughter's behavior than you to tell you the truth."

Haruka merely rolled her eyes continuing to walk through the dusty street toward the jail house. She was frustrated with herself for not being able to stay close to the few possessions she had, but she knew she could have gone about the entire dispute differently. The blonde had been born with a foul temper and often would lash out when her patience ran dry. She had been improving it over the last year while looking for work in order to survive. Although she was doing well, she did have lapses where all the hard work collapsed on itself and she'd revert into cursing up a storm and letting her fists fly. Blame the influence on Jak and the other riders would often be what she'd mentally do even though it was mainly Jak's fault. The gun woman had spent a lot of time around the blonde teaching her numerous tricks of the trade and survival things but in doing so, the temper also seemed to become warped and trained as well.

While the blonde remained silent in thought, Setsuna opened the jail house door and escorted her inside. The Marshall had dealt with many people in her short few years as a law official but none seemed to really have a sense of morals like the blonde she put up in a cell for the night. While others would have openly fought with her, Haruka had merely surrendered without allowing drama to unfold where it was not needed. It impressed Setsuna greatly but there was another reason she wasn't voicing as to why she brought the woman in without showing a fuss with her power. The guns the stranger had been wearing were extremely familiar to the red eyes of the Marshall and she had a feeling she knew who had trained her in using them.

"You best just relax for the night in here, rider. Though I am curious as to how you came across these guns here, as the original owner of them didn't take kindly to just handing them over to just anyone." remarked Setsuna smoothly.

"They were given to me by a good friend in order to keep myself alive on the trails I run, and for the record my name is Haruka." replied the blonde smoothly.

"I see. Haruka, you best just make yourself comfortable and rest that jaw of yours. I'll let you out first thing in the morning and you can ride out of here without a problem but I will be expecting to see you when you earn that money to pay the owner back what he lost with that table you shattered."

The rider gave a calm nod of her head before watching as the law officer leave the cells to the main office room. once she was out of sight, Haruka moved to sit upon a small cot only to remove the handkerchief with the initials of MK on them. A slight smirk crossed her lips as she simply held that piece of fabric in her hand. It wasn't often that she met someone she couldn't get out of her thoughts, but Michiru Kaioh was someone Haruka wanted to see and speak with again. She was willing to risk angering the governor to do so. For the time being however, she just kicked up her feet onto the cot and laid down moving her hat to rest over her face to get some shut eye.

Meanwhile back in the saloon, the governor had quickly returned his guests back to the subject of campaigning around the other Kansas towns and cities in order to be top dog in being re-elected. The guests had been quick to grab a few drinks after the altercation had occurred and were busy striking up conversations with the other people to distract themselves. The sound of the uninteresting chatter caused an already seething Michiru to just grumble and leave to stand upon the porch outside. She needed the air after all and also had to find a place to collect herself and keep her tongue. After all, she truly wanted to fly off the handle at her father but it was simply not the place and time for such antics.

"Why didn't I just slap Mark myself? It would have saved a bit of time for that rider to get out of the mess." she sighed shaking her head. Being a relative to such a recognizable face only caused trouble for her and Michiru was tired of it all. All she wanted was a simple life where she could talk of things that interested her and could afford to get rid of the act of being such a lady.

The woman soon shook her head of such thoughts enjoying the feel of the cool breeze that was rolling on through the streets. It helped to calm her nerves but it was also bringing in a rain storm from the east in that would make traveling difficult for the next , the more the wind blew in, the colder it grew and after a few minutes she had to go back inside to grab her coat to get warm again. Some men noticed her enter again and moved to try and catch her attention just to see her smile but she just kept on walking to the back of the saloon to grab her violin case and her coat in no mood to be talking to anyone after the events earlier. No one was going to get into her good graces for the evening and that included her father. The man was extremely lucky that she didn't slap him when Marshall came and took the rider away.

"I'm taking a walk." she remarked glancing toward her father for a moment. Before he could respond, she was gone out the back door of the saloon.

She had to get her mind settled as well as to just escape the eagle eyes of her father. Ever since her mother had died when she was sixteen, he changed to being even more protective over her. It was aggravating beyond words to the sea green haired woman but she had learned to just grin and bear it the last six years. However, her own patience was just about to run out and it would grow to cost her father. Grumbling under her breath, she continued to walk only to stop across from the jail glancing toward it a moment debating on something but quickly decided against bothering Haruka. Talking with her that night would only cause more trouble than it was worth, so Michiru just moved off to the upscale Inn where she had a room.

After reaching her room, she placed her violin to the side in a safe place and tossed her coat to a chair in the far right corner. "We are both prisoners of circumstance." she sighed gently.

She took the time to glance out to window toward the jail before shaking her head drawing the shades down in order to change for the evening. Rising from the edge of the bed, she walked to the small little dresser removing a small and short white silk colored night gown. While being careful slipping out of her emerald evening dress, Michiru quickly winced from the pain in her arm where Mark hard been too rough. The white smooth skin was turning dark and discolored as the bruise took its shape on her arm. Her eyes glanced to it and she gently ran her fingertips over the flesh being gentle with it noticing it was extremely sore.

"Damn him." she hissed before slipping the night gown over her head and tugging it down trying to avoid striking that arm. "I'll make sure to shoot him myself if he does this again."

Turning, she took the time to slide into the large bed only to look toward the window. Her thoughts returned to the blonde and she managed a faint smirk. if there were more people like that woman in the world, it would be a better place at least to her mind. It was a shame people didn't hold the same kind of moral code the rider had but then again, not everyone believe someone of the lower class could fit in with the upper class. Michiru didn't care, all she cared about was finding a way out of the hellish nightmare her life had become. Little did she realize just what sort of trouble awaited her as a result.


	5. Eye of the Storm

The night had passed and with it a powerful rain storm moved in over Dodge city causing flooding in the streets. People quickly had to make use of makeshift bridges with long boards in order to move from on side of the street to the next to use the walkways to keep from sinking through the thick mud. Anyone who was out in the mess of the storm had to be out there in order to keep a roof over their heads. Others remained inside enjoying the sight before them if they could see through the windows. One such person was the one who the people in the town called the drifter. She couldn't help but laugh from the barred window in her cell observing the idiots running through the mud to get around for the day. The Pony Express riders would travel through heavy amounts of snow, knee high mud, torrential down pours, and yet it seemed no one else could handle such extreme weather without much complaints but them. Haruka withdrew from the window seeing enough when two men ended up slipping and falling face first into five inches of mud.

The rider was antsy and it didn't help matters that she didn't have her tack with her or her horse for that matter. She had been awake for close to two hours already awaiting the Marshall to come in and unlock the cell door. It wasn't like she had anything to pass the time except staring out the small window to the circus act outside. People slipped and tripped over their own feet often landing harshly in the mud. Others got lucky avoiding the mud but would be severely drenched before reaching the shelter of a roof. After a while of watching, it grew repetitive and the rider wanted nothing more than to get to the livery stable even if it meant running through the muck in the street.

"Come on already. Come open this fucking cell!" she finally roared finding herself losing a bit of her patience. It was just her luck a loud roar of thunder struck drowning her out.

Having an eye on the storm, the Marshall moved from her window with a mug of coffee in hand. With the rain and mud came the dampness which often caused the woman great pain in her right knee. It was an old injury she had sustained while in her past profession. Even then she had a knack for catching the harshest and roughest outlaw and bringing them in. Setsuna missed those days mainly because she could pick and choose who she went after and she could also quit for a time. As a Marshall, she didn't have that luxury. She was restricted in the ways of the law and at times she wished she could turn back time. The sound of thunder snapped her out of her thoughts and it didn't take long for her to move into the cells to check on Haruka.

"Bout damned time, woman!" snapped the blonde coldly. She was just aggravated and hungry and just snapped out.

"Morning to you too, sunshine." retorted Setsuna sarcastically.

"Come on, let me out of this hell cage. I could use some grub not to mention some coffee."

"Fine. You just better not bolt on me."

"I won't. I just want food and to get the hell out of this city and back to Wyoming."

The green haired woman took her time unlocking the cell and kicked the door open giving the rider her freedom from the bars. Haruka nodded in thanks grabbing her ebony hat and moved into the office portion of the jail house. It was warmer than it had been in the cells with the dampness seeping in through the window to mention the stone block also seemed to suck in any moisture and only intensified it making the cell block seem like a cooler. The rider didn't waste anytime walking around for heat but rather went right to the source. The wood stove was hot and the blonde went right to it soaking up as much of the warm as she possibly could. She extended out her hands letting her fingers warm up to flex them easier. While the blonde sucked in the heat, Setsuna shook her head limping to grab an apple curious of something. She didn't give a warning of her throwing it at Haruka's back, but rather watched as the blonde grabbed it turning around, only to bring the fruit to her lips to take a bite.

"Ah, quick reflexes." murmured the woman calmly.

Haruka shrugged continuing to eat the apple and enjoy the heat off of the wood stove. It wasn't very often she got to enjoy being comfortable under a roof with a heat source since the majority of her time was out in the elements or in stable barns she could sleep within. While those generally kept her dry and somewhat comfortable, in rainy weather the dampness would go right into her muscles and bones. The food in her stomach helped to settle her nerves down but she was still a bit on edge wanting to get to her horse through the mess outside. It seemed the storm was intent on waging war from above on Dodge City as lightning flashed in the distance only to cause a loud crack of thunder through the air moments later.

"Storm is really bringing the rain down. I'm surprised people are moving through it having such a hard time." Haruka murmured tossing the apple core in a bucket for trash for the time being.

Setsuna let out a soft sigh. "Yes, it is. Somehow I get the feeling I'm going to be told to go through it myself to speak with the governor in getting you out of here without getting shot at."

"Meh, not the first time I've had bullets or arrows hurled my way."

"Somehow, I don't doubt that at all." chuckled the law officer.

The short haired blonde seemed to be the type that just had trouble following her in any direction she went. Therefore imagining bullets and arrows flying toward her, only made the green haired woman shake her head faintly avoiding the temptation to let out a chuckle. Instead she cleared her throat finishing off her coffee while listening to the rain slamming against the roof in anger. The storm wasn't lessening in strength but it was growing more aggressive. That was clear as the wind picked up along with the rain pelting up against the window paces with quite a force. So much force in fact, that Haruka hit the floor thinking it was gun fire. Setsuna blinked and soon laughed at the sight before the rider realized it was just the rain and wind.

"Shut up." she grumbled getting up off the floor.

The Marshall smirked. "What? You're pretty damn jumpy. Afraid of the guy getting back at you for last night?"

"No, it's just I have to be on guard." retorted the blonde quickly. It was obvious she was on the defensive.

"Sure..."

Haruka rolled her green eyes and moved glancing out the rain washed window. "I should get to the stables and start getting ready to move out of here."

"I would recommend you wait until the storm subsides before trying to trek through this weather." responded the Marshall calmly.

"I've rode through worse before but then again I could stick around a while longer. I want to speak with someone."

"You do realize you get near her I won't be able to stop the Governor from saying you're harassing his daughter."

"Wait, how did you know it's Miss Kaioh I want to see?"

The law woman chuckled watching the other calmly. "It's quite simple. When I first walked in to grab you last night, you were guarded and on alert staying pretty close to Miss Michiru. It doesn't take much to notice when someone is trying to defend someone they care about."

Haruka blushed up a little and quickly turned her back on Setsuna. She coughed into her hand a bit trying to get the blush under control. Setsuna couldn't help but chuckle a bit more highly entertained by the woman's reaction to her words. It only proved the blonde was a bit fond of the violinist and the Marshall knew she had to keep an eye on the two of them while Haruka remained in Dodge.

"Anyway, why is her old man so overly protective over her? I didn't have much of a chance to ask her any sort of questions last night." sighed a still slightly flustered Haruka.

Setsuna closed her crimson eyes and shook her head. "Because she is the only thing he has left in this world of his wife." she explained. "Not to mention his political enemies are not afraid to go after her by any means. She's his only child and he tends to forget she isn't a little girl anymore."

The blonde sighed soon perching herself near the wood stove. "Hm, well her body guards don't know how to do their jobs right." she grumbled only to close her eyes.

The law woman nodded soon rising form her desk as she heard a heavy knocking on the door. She limped over to get the door and was surprised to find a cloaked figure out in the rain. Letting the person in, Setsuna closed the door and locked it to keep it from flying open from the storm's force. Haruka tensed a bit keeping her eyes on the individual that entered before catching a glimpse of sea green hair as the soaked hood fell back.

"Michiru." she stammered lightly.

The woman smiled faintly only to place her cloak on a hook near the stove to dry it out. She wasn't wearing an elegant gown but rather a plain blue dress even with the cloak having protected her. Michiru couldn't stay away and had to come and see how the Pony Express rider was doing as well as to escape her father and his comrades for a few hours. The governor had been lecturing her all morning about the importance of not going up to strangers and starting a conversation as she had with Haruka. Of course she blew him off only to slip out the back door in the storm. No doubt he'd be wondering where she vanished and would start sending people out searching for her in a half an hour.

"I had to come and see how you were and to apologize." remarked the violinist as she rubbed her arms.

Haruka noticed she seemed a bit cold and rose removing her duster. Stepping over to Michiru, the woman softly draped the long coat over her shoulders standing behind her. The smaller woman glanced up to her and smiled tenderly before clasping the sides of the coat pulling it about herself a bit tighter. The fabric was warm and comfortable but the fact the rider was being so polite made the woman more satisfied. It wasn't often she had people behaving in such a manner without hidden intentions at play. With Haruka, she felt everything was completely genuine without any strings attached.

Setsuna watched the scene unfold before her eyes and shoook her head limping to her desk yet again. There was nothing to worry about after all as far as she was concerned. The governor had just gotten hot headed and jumped on the person he found easiest to blame last night. The blonde seemed to be the type not to over step any boundaries. The Marshall couldn't help but have a faint smirk form on her lips.

"Michiru, does he know where you are?" she inquired.

"No, he doesn't and I rather he not find me. After his behavior last night, I don't want to deal with his domineering attitude anymore." replied the woman softly.

Haruka sighed softly placing her hands on Michiru's shoulders not liking what she had heard from her. Michiru blinked feeling the hands and sent a glance toward the blonde only to reach her own smaller hand to rest over top of Haruka's right hand. The blonde closed her green eyes feeling the soft skin on her rough hand. It sent a slight chill down her spine which she oddly found enjoyable. However, she soon let the feeling subside only to voice her opinion.

"That wasn't wise, Michiru. You know who he'll come looking for first." remarked the blonde calmly. She wasn't exactly thrilled at the idea of being hunted down by a large mob.

"I'm sorry Haruka but damnit, I'm tired of his crap. He just uses me to entertain guests anymore and lectures me on how to behave. I haven't even had a date he's that damned stubborn." she growled. It seemed to catch the blonde by surprise as she raised a brow.

"Why do I get the feeling I know where this conversation is headed?" remarked Setsuna calmly having been listening and watching. "If it's what I'm thinking, I'm going to go check the cells."

The Marshall rose from her desk and limped out of the office to the cells looking them over. Haruka watched Setsuna leave and soon sent a glance down to the woman in front of her. She calmly moved out from behind Michiru only to walk toward the wood stove showing her back to her. Michiru watched her move and observed the way she walked as well as looking her over a little bit. The rider did interest her after all but she quickly adverted her eyes away when Haruka turned to look back to her.

The blonde moved a hand to rub her forehead. "All right, what are you plannin?"

"I want to leave this town and ride with you." remarked Michiru.

The blonde sighed bowing her head down. She didn't like what she was hearing, knowing just what kind of trouble it was going to create for them both. No doubt the governor would send a lot of men to track them down but her thoughts stopped rather abruptly as she took a moment to look back toward the woman. The look in her ocean blue eyes only made the blonde realize how much she seemed to trust her. Grumbling beneath her breath a bit, the rider turned around and walked back to stand in front of Michiru. Her jaw was bruised where Mark had struck her but she wasn't aware of it as she looked the woman in the eyes. Michiru looked up to her softly reaching out a hand to touch the bruise being gentle to not cause pain to her friend. She was hopeful she'd be her escape from her caged world and awaited an answer tenderly stroking the wounded lip as well with a fingertip. Haruka tensed at first feeling the touch but came to the realization she wasn't going to hurt her and allowed Michiru to continue with her actions.

"You do know how to ride right? If you can gather up what little things you will need, I'll take you with me when I ride out today. I suppose my horse can handle us both as I don't want you handling one in this weather on your own." Haruka commented gently.

Michiru smiled thankful to the woman and soon showed it by wrapping her arms around her pulling her close in a friendly hug. Haruka blinked a bit confused at first before realizing what she was doing. She blushed up a little feeling her heart rate spike while Michiru held onto her. Trying to erase it from her face, the blonde lightly coiled an arm around the smaller woman.

"Now don't go all teary eyed on me now, woman. It isn't going to be easy at all and you have to be able to do as I say when I say it, got it?" murmured the rider.

The smaller woman nodded realizing after a few moments she had laid her head on Haruka's chest. She flushed up a little and drew back from the woman to step closer to the wood stove. Even as she tried to hide her blushing cheeks, Haruka took notice of them but said nothing. After all, she was a bit red faced herself after having her that close to her body. She cleared her throat and moved noticing her gun belt behind Setsuna's desk by a rifle. As much as she felt weird without them on her, she would be patient and wait for them to be handed back to her.

"Where are you headed, Haruka? I'm curious." remarked the violinist as she took a seat in the chair.

"I'm heading back to Wyoming to the Pony Express post I work at. I'm sure I can find you a place of your own up there after all I doubt you'd want to stick with me for very long." sighed the blonde.

"Why do you think that?"

"I ain't rich for one thing. I don't have much in this world either. Not to mention I'm not the best behaved individual in the world, Michiru."

"From what I've seen, you are genuinely one of the better behaved. I don't give a damn about riches anyway. You are bluntly honest, speak your mind without restraints, stand up for your beliefs and are quite stubborn but I like that."

Haruka chuckled faintly soon noticing Setsuna entering the room once more. The Marshall sighed a bit walking slowly to her desk again but stopped to grab the ebony double holster gun belt to toss it in the rider's direction. She grabbed them without a problem and smiled putting the belt back on feeling much better with the guns present. Setsuna took a moment and glanced to Michiru who seemed nice and warm but also a bit flushed in the face.

"Well, I suggest you get on to the stable Haruka." murmured the Marshall.

The blonde gave a calm nod before adjusting her gray shirt sleeves. She approached Michiru who calmly rose from the chair sheepishly offering her coat back to her. In a way she didn't want to let it slip off her body but she knew Haruka would need the duster to keep herself dry in the dangerous rain outside. The rider smiled a little slipping the long coat back onto her body taking the time to button it up tightly. The last thing she needed was to get completely drenched down like a rat. In a matter of moments, the blonde slipped out of the jail house and out into the weather beyond.

The wind whipped at her face causing rain to slam into her face at a high speed. She cursed beneath her breath before walking across the wooden walkway looking around a little. No one else was out facing the weather and in a way it put her to ease. The rain kept hammering down as she made her way to the stable with mud plastered against her shins and boots by the time she got there. Inside the building, she shook her head dumping the water off part of her hat to the ground hearing horses start up.

"Easy guys..."she murmured softly walking to the stall where she had put her horse up for the evening. He seemed all right having been fed a few laps of hay by the owner but that didn't stop him from nudging her hard in the chest. "I know, I'm sorry."she remarked patting his head.

She was satisfied that he was all right and soon she climbed up into the loft to retrieve her saddle which hadn't been touched. Checking the saddlebags, she found her spare duster as well as a change of clothes in case she needed them. Putting the items back, she climbed down the ladder to the floor carrying the saddle on her back with a hand. It didn't take her long to get things organized in order to take off when Michiru was ready. The only part that bothered her was the waiting and it started not long after she saddled up her horse. Deciding to just relax a bit and dry out, the rider slipped off her duster to let it sit hanging out to dry. It was a good duster and kept the rain off her back and she was thankful she had grabbed it when she did a few months back.

"Hm, now to wait for her to be ready."she sighed leaning back sitting in the stall with her horse in a pile of uneaten hay.

Back in the jail house, Setsuna glanced toward Michiru as she grabbed her cloak to put back over her shoulder. The elder woman shook her head carefully knowing what the girl was planning to do.

"You just make sure you keep yourself from getting sick in this weather." she remarked.

Michiru nodded before unlocking to door to embark through the rainy weather herself. Unlike Haruka, the poor girl was drenched when she got inside the inn and to her room. So much so, that she had to strip out of the wet dress and under clothes in order to keep herself from shivering. It didn't take long for her body to warm up as she grabbed fresh clothes which consisted of pants and a dark blue western shirt. She assumed since she would be riding there would be no point to travel in a dress. It would only make things more of a hassle if she did after all and she wanted to keep Haruka at ease. Michiru packed a few clothes and also grabbed her violin before taking one last look around for anything else she might need. If she could survive without much, she'd be happy and she quickly left her room with a long coat on with her hair pulled back in a bun beneath a gray hat. No one seemed to notice her slip out which was exactly what she wanted as she trudged through the mud to the stable to find some shelter.

"Haruka?" she softly called out. "You still here?"

A grunt seemed to answer her and she followed the source soon chuckling as what she found. The blonde had fallen asleep against the wall of the make shift stall her horse was in. Shaking her head, Michiru moved into the stall softly touching the horse and speaking to him in a low whisper to put him at ease. The last thing wanted was for anyone to get hurt because of an unnerved horse. Getting onto her knees, the woman leaned over and softly shook Haruka's shoulder to snap her awake from her sleep.

"Haruka, wake up." she murmured firmly shaking the shoulders a bit harder.

The blonde stirred slowly and awoke only stopping from hitting the person recognizing the blue eyes and the voice. "Michiru...I didn't recognize you."

"Come on, I have my things ready. You ready to go though?" she teased.

Haruka rose dusting herself off before approaching where she had her coat hanging. She grabbed it and slipped it over her shoulders only to move to her saddle bag to remove her other water proofed duster. Turning to Michiru, she tossed it to her.

"Put it on. It'll keep you dry for the trip." she grumbled lightly.

"Thanks." replied the small woman as she slipped it on quickly. In no time, the was ready to go handing Haruka one small bag along with the violin case.

The rider managed to situate the things on her horse before looking down to Michiru. "You sure you want this? There's no turning back if you come with me."

"I'm sure. I want to get out of here."

The blonde sighed and allowed Michiru to climb up into the saddle before taking the reigns to walk the buckskin out into the rain. She didn't stay on the ground long as she swung up behind Michiru managing to sit comfortably while handling her horse spurring him out of the town running him through the rain. They had wasted enough time but no one would notice them leave, except for one person in the jail house. Although she probably wouldn't hunt them down until the mud settled for a few days, which would give the two plenty of time to ride away from town. Together they rode out through the storm doing their best to keep dry and warm though Michiru had to admire the fact she was riding with a strong woman whose body she felt pressed agianst her back. It made her feel secure as the rain pounded into them while they continued their run into the wilderness far away from Dodge.


	6. Bonds Deepen

Two weeks had passed since their departure from Dodge and the two women had finally gotten to the Pony Express post that Haruka called her home. It had taken a lot out of her horse carrying two people so she expected to travel slowly. However, she didn't expect to go for two weeks before being able to see the post in the distance. She had dismounted her horse and walked for the last half mile to the post only to see a few of the riders handling their horses. One of which spotted her and dropped the hammer they had been using to nail a shoe into a horse's back foot, only to yell in her direction loudly.

"Tenoh! Dobson's pissed at you for being lat- whoa. Who's the rider?" he asked calmly.

Haruka growled a bit. "He can be pissed. I did my job, and it's none of your business, Wade."

The blacksmith shrugged off the snappy remark and returned to his work. Haruka shook her head and walked into the barn only to stop and help the girl out of the saddle. Michiru attempted to dismount on her own by quickly fell out of the saddle and into the awaiting arms of the blonde. Her legs were extremely sore from riding for so long and she was thankful the woman caught her.

"Easy there. Must have been a while since you've ridden this much in a saddle, hm?" teased the rider softly.

"Yes, it's been a long while since I've actually ridden a horse. Thank you for the help, Haruka."

The blonde nodded helping the woman walk her legs out a bit after flipping a reign to the ground. It kept her horse where he stood while she walked outside with Michiru keeping an arm around her waist to let her get the feeling back in her lower body. She recalled the time she had ridden hard for the first time on a horse and it had been painful. her legs hard burned so much she had been unable to sit right for a few days and even had trouble walking straight. A soft chuckle escaped her lips causing Michiru to look up at her stopping in her steps, although she soon shook her head ignoring it noticing a figure moving out of the other building across from the barn.

The figure seemed to be rather infuriated as the blonde suddenly lost a bit of color in her face causing her companion to worry. However before michiru could ask what was going on, the blonde quivered a bit. The figure of another rider appeared and it was someone the woman knew extremely well. Icy blue eyes narrowed and soon enough, Hawkins couldn't contain the anger built up in her chest over the last two weeks. Just like a powder keg, she blew.

"Just where in the hell has your sorry excuse for a fucking rider ass been, Blondy? Dobson's been riding my ass for the last two weeks wondering where the hell you've been!" roared the ebony haired rider.

Haruka for the first time in Michiru's sight, cowered faintly bowing her head seemingly in defeat. "I can explain, Jak. Please, just stop yelling in front of my friend here." she murmured meekly.

The infuriated rider crossed her arms over her chest awaiting an explanation. Whatever it was, it had to be a good one or else the blonde was subject to the wrath of the fuming gun woman. In a matter of ten minutes Haruka pleaded her case, and whatever burning desire that had been fueled in the older woman had been extinguished understanding the situation. She turned looking toward Michiru a moment recognizing her face from somewhere before.

"So, you were in Dodge City taking a gander to rest and somehow got swept up by the Governor of Kansas' daughter only to get jailed for a night and then stole her away?" murmured Jak smoothly.

"That's pretty much what happened." responded Michiru.

"Just what the hell were you drinking?" snapped Hawkins once more.

Haruka twitched just a bit and growled firmly letting her own temper flare. "I brought her with me because she wanted out. So I figured she could stick around with me for the time being until she figured out what she wanted. I know Dobson's probably pissed and he can be but I wasn't about to abandon Michiru."

Jak sighed removing her ebony hat only to wipe her brow a bit with a hand. "Fine, fine, however Dobson is also just in a pissy mood already on his own."

"What's got him so riled up?" inquired the blonde calmly still holding Michiru around the waist with an arm.

"The Pony Express is coming to a close in another three months."

"What?"

"You heard me. Seems the telegraph is moving westward. In another three months, all the riders here will be needing to find new work."

"That's terrible. You all have worked so hard with your horses." remarked Michiru gently finally speaking up. She sent a worried glance toward her taller companion.

Haruka bowed her head down calmly letting out a long defeated sigh from her lips. The news was indeed bad upon a lot of ears in the outpost. Many riders had been working hard for a year long run with the Pony Express while young upstarts would be cut off yet again. The blonde shook her head before debating on what else she could possibly do once the express fell through. She was brought out of her thoughts however by a hand on her face and she blinked a few times. Glancing down, she couldn't help but smile faintly seeing Michiru watching her with a worried expression.

"It'll be fine, Michi." she remarked calmly.

Jak rolled her eyes calmly before placing her hat back upon her skull. "Seems you've gotten yourself rather attached to this beauty. I do hope you don't screw this up, Blondy because I have the sneaky suspicion she could kick your ass."

The comment made Michiru giggle a little but it only seemed to cause the blonde to turn red in the face trying to mask it by leaning down into Michiru's hair a little for a few moments. Michiru only laughed harder as a result only causing Hawkins to start laughing as well. It was just not the blonde's turn to win for some reason. After moving a hand to calm Haruka a little, the violinist sent a look toward Jak in a questioning manner not knowing who she was. It didn't take long for the gun woman to notice the expression and she smiled giving a little bow of her head.

"The name's Jak Hawkins, miss. I showed Haruka the ropes to being a Pony Express rider when she joined up with this outfit." she explained.

Michiru smiled gently and observed the woman looking her over silently. Jak Hawkins looked rather intimidating in the long black duster and ebony attire she seemed to wear. However, the short woman took the time to notice the silver belt buckle and a light icy blue colored shirt she wore. In contrast with the ebony pants and chaps, Michiru got a creepy feeling the woman resembled an angel of death for a few moments. She was taller than Haruka by three inches at least and the violinist took into account the two guns the woman wore on her hips matching the ebony leather gloves on her hands. The woman hoped Hawkins would remain a friend rather than become an enemy.

While Michiru was busy looking over Hawkins and getting a read of her, Haruka had loosened her grip around the woman's waist finally having her composure back. The blonde often could handle such digs to her but somehow in the presence of Michiru, she couldn't help but turn red. She pulled her head back from Michiru soon noting her gaze and smirked very faintly in amusement. She couldn't help but be amused simply because the woman Michiru was looking at had been quite a mentor for the blonde. Her attention turned seeing other riders working their horses in the distance. When the post would close, the woman doubted she'd be able to move on very easily to find another suitable job. It scared her a bit not knowing what would come next but she had a feeling she wouldn't ever be alone again. At least with Michiru by her side, she could handle the unknown a bit better but she only hoped she didn't scare the woman off in the end with some of the habits she had. So far they had survived for two weeks and she honestly hoped it would last a lifetime since she truly had grown rather attached to the woman.

It didn't often take a genius to see through the front that Haruka often put up around herself however, it had to take someone that she willingly allowed to get to know her to read her more accurately. While others would have assumed she was just some run down rider with nothing better to than than chase women, Jak could tell something was changing in the woman for the better. In the time Haruka had stayed with the post, Jak hadn't seen her blush nearly as much as she did with Michiru present with the woman. She also didn't witness the look of content in the emerald eyes either that now seemed very apparent to the gun woman. Hawkins was proud that haruka had managed to find a bit of happiness but she had a feeling it would be put to the test knowing who Michiru was related to.

"There's a bunk house on the right of the property passed the barn near the woods if you two feel the need to shack up there. Although, I have a feeling you'll be taking your spot in the barn. No one else sleeps in there but me, but I have to make a mail run to Dodge this evening." sighed Hawkins lightly.

Haruka tensed slowly. "Be careful while you're there." she murmured.

"Relax, Blondy. You seem to forget who taught you."

The gun woman moved and placed a gloved hand on her friend's shoulder lightly. Her icy eyes caught the look within the green eyes of her old student and she soon withdrew her hand to walk away to saddle up her horse for the ride. She knew just what sort of trouble that would most likely envelope her when she got to Dodge

but she wasn't afraid. The least she could do was give Haruka a break from riding to keep Michiru company as well as to check to see just what sort of chaos the two had caused back in Kansas. Either way, Hawkins made sure her pistols were loaded and she even made sure she had her rifle with her as well for the trip.

Michiru sent a glance toward the black coated woman as she left and softly moved to nudge Haruka in the ribs with an elbow. The action made the blonde grunt a little but she looked down to the smaller woman with a questioning expression.

"You never told me about Jak. Why didn't you?" she asked.

Haruka chuckled faintly. "Because you never asked for one. However, I just don't think to mention her often. I suppose you could call her a mentor or a good close friend."

"Seems to me you look to her like would would a sibling at times. After all, who else can get away with calling you Blondy?"

The blonde turned red faintly hearing the nickname pass through the violinist's lips. The smaller woman grinned brightly obviously amused as it seemed she could also be the only other person to get away with it. The cough the taller woman gave only confirmed , Michiru caught sight of Jak leaving on her horse bolting off in the direction they had come in and she sighed closing her eyes slowly. She couldn't help but hope that nothing terrible would happen to her as a result of what Haruka and she had done.

"Relax, Michi. Jak can handle herself. Trust me on that. Now, let's get you off your feet so you can rest your legs." remarked Haruka gently.

The two made their way to the barn ignoring the glances from others still around. The blonde had walked slowly to not aggravate the sore legs of her companion though soon decided she had walked slow enough. One moment Michiru was on the ground, the next she was cradled against Haruka's torso and chest where she closed her eyes momentarily. She cheeks flushed in a faint pink color as the blonde kept walking only to stop at the ladder leading to the main loft above the horse stalls. She gently lowered her blue eyed friend to the ground before guiding her to the ladder to climb it. The woman didn't step away from Michiru as she struggled with her legs to climb the object. The blonde climbed up beneath her in case she slipped and lost her balance. Luckily she didn't and Haruka was thankful for that as they both got to the loft seeing hay stacked all around.

"So, this is your supposed room, hm? It's kind of comfy though I do wonder about somethings. Do you ever get too cold up here?" asked Michiru as she moved to sit upon a pile of loose hay to rest.

The blonde shifted soon to sit alongside her friend. "When winter usually comes around I tend to build up a wall with the hay where I sleep or I usually will drift down to sleep in the aisleways by the stalls. You'd be surprised just how warm the horses keep the place in the winter months when they are all cooped up inside."

"That makes sense. I still have a lot to learn with this but I'm enjoying it nonetheless."

"I'm thankful for that, Michi. I was kind of worried you'd want me to take you somewhere and leave you while I moved on. I don't think I could do that with you. granted I've known you only a short period of time I-" the blonde was caught off guard and silenced by a kiss from the violinist.

She relaxed at the tender gesture and moved only to lay Michiru back amongst the loose hay deepening their kiss. She could hear her heart pounding in her ears as she drew her mouth back for air trying to steady her nerves which were on fire. The woman underneath the rider smiled reaching up a hand to cup her cheek sweetly.

"You talk too much, Ruka." she chided.

"Michi, I may talk much but I'm nervous as hell. It's a reflex so cut me some slack."

"Then just let your body do the talking."

"I'm not going to do anything too physical with you right now. Your legs are sore enough without me influencing them."

Michiru couldn't help but allow a laugh to escape as she leaned up to kiss the blonde softly. Haruka sighed and shifted laying by Michiru's left in the hay remaining beside her. She was quite comfortable by the side of the woman and knew she never wanted to leave her after stealing her away from the life she had been a prisoner in. Already the rider felt a strong bond with her but it seemed it was mutual now which caused the woman to smile. Haruka couldn't be happier but soon she was proven wrong feeling Michiru shift to lay up against her body using her chest as a pillow for her long locks. The blonde reached a hand down and softly stroked her cheek and shoulder just basking in the emotions she was feeling. The thoughts of Dobson being angry at her, of Jak facing a possible war in Dodge, they never crossed her mind as the world was shut out of her mind. Everything except one thing remained, and that was focusing on making sure the goddess in her lap was content with her.


	7. Deadeye and the Bounty

Note: Anything in italics in this section is a memory. It's mainly just one tidbit I had to put in here. Also I want to thank my reviewers for continuing to read. I do hope you continue to enjoy this fic as I have been enjoying writing it.

* * *

Hawkins had left the Pony Express post in Wyoming four days ago and had finally managed to navigate her thundering horse into the city of Dodge. It had been a long hard ride for the foaming black horse beneath her body but the woman knew he lived for the thrill himself. He always had even when he was a colt when she first bought him. Letting him have more of his head, she gripped a bit harder around his waist with her legs barely touching him with her spurs as he ran even faster into the drying out streets of the city. People who had been walking on the walkways stopped watching the black rider and black horse fly through the mud without so much as a slip curious as to why someone would be moving that fast. However, they soon turned their attention away and continued with their moving as renegades from the other side of the city started causing quite a racket.

The renegade rough riders were a bunch of trail hands that had moved into the town for the last few days. They had brought in a herd of cattle to market and were working on drinking their money away. The bartender had kicked them out of the saloon before they could cause any trouble but that wouldn't stop them. The leader of the group stroked his ebony beard soon chuckling with a few of his fellow rough riders but spotted a running horse with rider flying through the street. He couldn't resist the temptation to cause a little trouble and removed his gun from his right hip firing off a shot which unfortunately crossed right through the running steed's front left leg causing him to rear up frantically. Much to his dismay, the shooter watched as the rider didn't fall off but rather held on before dismounting noticing the limp in the animal.

"You didn't throw em, boss. You're aim must be off." chuckled a red headed man with a brown shirt.

"Zip it, Ray. I ain't done with that rider yet." growled the male firmly.

"Sorry, Caleb."

The gang watched the rider closely not noticing the anger boiling through her veins. Jak had dismounted in a hurry having felt something wrong with her horse and moved to inspect him finding the bullet wound through his lower left foreleg. The blood was pouring freely from him and Jak quickly removed her duster to rip off the light blue sleeves of her western shirt to turn into bandages for the injured animal not bothering to remember the kit she had in a saddlebag for the time being. She had to focus on stopping the bleeding before her attention would turn to hunting the son of a bitch down that hurt him in the first place.

"Ho son...I know it hurts, Dart." whispered Jak tying off the makeshift bandage.

The fabric slowly turned purple mixed with the blood but the flood had stopped enough for the rider to get the injured animal to the livery to get the tack off of him. The group remained where they were but Caleb left to walk slowly through the crowds watching the rider and injured horse. He wanted to see what the rider did out of curiosity having no idea who he was messing with. He had just assumed it was some show off riding through town and wanted to teach them to slow down a bit.

Jak had managed to speak with the stable owner and paid for a week in order to keep the place in the stable to mend her horse back to shape. She was worried the animal wouldn't be able to run properly and her attention turned to find the bastard that shot toward him in the first place. With her saddle on the ground out of sight and her rifle safely away from the naked eye, the rider grabbed her long black duster and slipped out of the barn with her spurs jingling as she walked firmly toward the saloon where she swore she heard the shots echo from. As soon as she stepped inside slamming the doors wide open, people looked up from their drinks slurring their words but silenced themselves feeling the anger from the figure. She ignored the on lookers and moved to the bartender smoothly.

"You see the person that fire that gun a few minutes ago?" she asked him calmly. The bald tender just shook his head lying to the woman. He didn't want to get dragged into the dispute. Annoyed with the answer she received, Hawkins reached across the bar and grabbed the man by the collar of his shirt jerking him forward onto his belly. His feet were off the floor as he balanced himself on the cold wood petrified from the sudden motion.

"I'll ask you again, did you see the son of a bitch that fired the gun?" Jak growled venomously. The man nodded and quickly blurted out the man's name feeling himself get released from the maniac. He rubbed his throat watching as she stormed out not bothering to say anything more.

Bystanders watched the woman storm out of the saloon and one young boy had the gut feeling to go and alert the Marshall to the trouble that was about to start. He sprinted down to the jail house and opened the door in a frenzy blurting out some person was going after another and that a shoot out would happen. The boy was nervous and fearful having seen the city change into a violent whirl pool of people the last two weeks ever since Michiru left it. The Marshall carefully rose from her cot in the office and winced feeling her back ache but moved to handle the situation as her duty had to be upheld. She had been working overtime trying to catch people and keep others from forming a mob to go after any Pony Express rider associated with Wyoming in order to find the Governor's daughter for the reward money. It had literally turned Dodge into a war zone of the likes Setsuna hadn't seen in a long time.

Away from the jail house, Jak had looked around the streets spotting the group of cow hands as well as the one the bartender had described down to his beard on his chin. The ebony gloves tightened as the woman formed fists with her hands. She was trying her hardest not to shoot him from the distance she stood. Instead, she swallowed the wrath in her throat to put it at bay as she walked through the muddy streets to the platform. Ray turned to spot the woman and swiftly belted Caleb in the ribs trying to grab his attention.

"That rider is coming right to you, boss."

"I'm aware of that, Ray." remarked the man coolly as he turned to spot the rider approaching him with heated steps. "What the matter with you, stranger?" he asked a little too calmly.

"You know damn well what's the matter with me you son of a bitch." she snarled reaching out to slam the man against the building's front with her hands."You shot my horse!"

"It was just for fun."

The man smirked a cocky grin and the rider found herself completely over taken by her anger. She stepped away from him and glared to him hotly. "Nobody fucks with my horse."

Caleb sneered at her moving away from the building to stand in the street away from his goons. He had wanted to start a gun fight with someone earlier and it just so happened that he wanted to shoot the ebony clothed rider the moment he spotted him ride into town. Without hesitation, he tucked his coat aside revealing his ivory handled forty-five at his hips.

"I did. Do you really want to press me further with this, rider? You'll die as sure as I'm standing here." he murmured.

Jak was about to kicked back her coat sides but a voice stopped her in her tracks. "I wouldn't advise either one of you to draw with me present."

That voice was to one she had not heard in a very long time. Caught up in the moment, she left herself wide open for Caleb to draw on her. He decided to try but quickly regretted it as a gun fired. Smoke filtered around but it was soon apparent he was not the one that fired as his gun lay in the mud collecting blood droplets. He let out a shrill yell grabbing onto his hand which now had a bullet hole through the palm which would probably not heal up all the way.

"I'm sorry Marshall but it was self defense. He was going to shot me first and not to mention the son of a bitch shot my horse. The fucker's lucky I didn't aim for a kill." grumbled Jak as she holstered her gun and turned to walk away from the scene.

"Stop right there, Hawkins." responded Setsuna calmly. The woman stopped. "I know that man got what he deserved but you acted hotheadedly and we both know that. I want to see you in the jail house in a few minutes to chat."

"I can't do that, Marshall. My horse needs me more than you do."

Jak simply walked away to the stable to check on her horse leaving behind a paling Caleb. He wasn't expecting the person to have a faster draw but when he heard the last name spoken from the Marshall's lips, he blanched. How could he have not recognized the one and only Deadeye Hawkins? Keeping a tight hold on his hand, he looked to Ray who quickly bent down and picked up the gun on the ground holstering it for his boss.

"Maybe this will teach you not to start a gunfight in my town again, Marshton. You're lucky she didn't let the anger blind her too much or else your brains would be splattered all over this street. Now, go clean yourself up and get out of my town by sun down." snarled Setsuna before turning to walk away toward her jail house.

The group took the warning and moved to get their boss taken care of by the doctor in town. While they bolted like a pack of dogs with their tails between their legs, Hawkins kept walking noticing more looks thrown her way as people started to recognize her. They all moved to their business rather quickly not wishing to turn her anger on them. Even the ones who were thinking of causing trouble quickly thought against it with the woman in town, especially those with money on their scalps. The men could recall the tales other outlaws had told them over whiskey in the past and decided to avoid the ebony coated woman letting her walk to the stable without bothering her. Jak entered the building and calmly approached the stall her horse was in finding him laying down resting the injured leg of his. The bandages had been bled through and she sighed moving to her saddlebag to grab the proper equipment she needed to try and help her companion.

"Easy, Dart. It's just me old man." she whispered stroking the forelocks of silvery black mane hair tenderly. The animal nickered softly obviously in pain but quieted feeling the touch.

The woman sighed softly hating the sound and the look in her animal's eyes. She couldn't stand the pain she felt from him but knew he would do his best to heal. He had always been a stubborn stallion ever since she got a hold of him. When she first found him, he was just a baby and was caught in a wooden fence and broke his back leg trying to get away from her. She had been a ranch hand as a young girl back then but she busted the fence board to free the little black horse who frightfully tried to get up but fell. Some o f the larger ranch hands were going to put him down with a bullet but she had stepped in to stop them getting in front of the gun to do so. After listening to her pleas, the men let her keep the horse and nurse him back to health. They had not expected him to heal as well as he did and let alone let the young girl ride him without any tack when he was two years old. Had they tried it, he would have bucked them sky high and busted their bones but he never harmed the little girl.

A smile crossed her face as Jak remembered that memory and soon moved to cut free the fabric around the injury. The wound was bloody and it didn't help matter the horse was black in color. Grumbling, she rose with bloody hands and went to find a bucket of some sort to use. A small silver pale was left at the entrance of the barn left unused. She grabbed it and moved out to steal some water from the town's well filling it ignoring the looks at her crimson stained hands. There was no vet in town but that wouldn't have helped matters as Hawkins would still not let anyone else touch her horse. She returned a few minutes later to the stall only to stop in her tracks spotting the long dark green hair of the Marshall.

"I figured you would do this yourself, Hawkins." she murmured gently. "You always were stubborn with him."

"I should have known you'd show up here." grumbled the rider as she brushed by the other woman. She couldn't help but feel a faint shiver travel up her spine from bumping her shoulder.

Jak quickly put aside the feeling and went back to work setting the bucket off to the side. The bloody shirt sleeves were fully removed from the injured leg and a bandanna was quickly placed into the cold water. The woman set to work washing the blood out of the injury soon finding the tendons intact. The bullet has passed through cleanly busting through a small portion of muscle enough to be painful for the animal. She sighed with a bit of relief soon working on adding some salve mixture into the wound and bandaging it up.

"You should have let me handle the situation back there, Jak." remarked Setsuna as she watched the woman work with such precision on the horse's injury. She really had a gift.

"Like hell, Suna. He shot my horse and therefore threatened my livelihood. I had ever right to go after him. The bastard just lucky to be breathing is all." growled the woman sharply.

The Marshall sighed and shifted to sit on a bale of hay watching over the ebony hair woman work. It had been a long time since she had last seen the woman tending her animal. back in those days everything was much different and she sometimes missed them. Getting lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice Jak move to sit beside her wiping her hands clean with a different cloth material.

"Remembering the old days, eh?" The comment made the crimson eyed woman snap out of her thoughts and glance to her right side. She gave a slow nod in response.

"It's been quite a long time since we used to sit just like this. Though last time, if I remember correctly, it was you I was working on and not Dart."

The gunslinger looked toward her old friend watching a faint smirk tugging at those lips of hers. It was hard not to let out a chuckle seeing Setsuna smirk even just a little at the memory. It was not a pleasant memory for the smirking woman and Jak knew it. The last time they had been sitting together Setsuna had gotten shot in her right knee by a bounty they were trying collect.

* * *

_Jak had dragged the stubborn woman away from the men trying to kill them and took her to a safe ground high in the Indian county to a broken down wooden cabin over looking the plains. Once inside the cabin the stubborn woman turned around and punched Jak across the jaw sending her crashing to the floor half expecting just a reaction from her partner in hunting._

_"Just what the hell were you thinking? We could have caught them!" her red eyes flashing dangerously as she snarled._

_"I was thinking of your life, Suna. Had we not retreated they would have smelled blood and cornered us like wounded rabbits. I wasn't about to let us become food for them especially when you could barely walk on your own." responded the woman getting off the floor._

_The red eyes slowly lost their fire and Setsuna looked away from her friend soon grabbing at her bloody knee. She had barely managed to use her own shirt sleeve to stop the blood flow to get out of their predicament. It didn't stop Hawkins from picking her up however to lay her upon the old bed to tend to her knee. She gasped feeling her pants leg move up her leg passed the knee. The pain was immense but she watched as much as she could as Hawkins took the time to be extremely gentle and careful removing the bullet with a thin bladed knife. Setsuna had passed out only minutes later being left in the woman's care. She had spent a long recovery time of three months with her leg being as bad as it was. However through all the pain and frustration, the gunslinger was always right there when her balance failed her or when the cane slipped out of her grasp. _

_After she had fully healed, she woke to find herself alone in the cabin with no sign of her companion. Setsuna had looked high and low for her managing to walk properly thanks to the care Hawkins had made her take. All that remained was a folded piece of paper with words written on it for her eyes to see._

_ "Setsuna, I'm sorry I cannot remain with you to see you ride off home safely.I have some business I need to attend to that was left unfinished. I do hope you realize why I left without saying goodbye. It would have been to painful for either one of us I would imagine. That, and you would have stopped me before getting even. I hope you come to realize just how much you do mean to me. I'm apologizing in advance for my actions as a result of all of this. Maybe I'll see you once I get out of the prison walls._

_Always yours,_

_Jak Hawkins"_

_Hawkins had gone off on a rage killing the men that had injured Setsuna and dragged them back to one of the cities to deposit the bodies. As she had assumed she was quickly arrested by a Marshall and taken to trail. In the end she ended up spending four years in prison and was left forgotten with her name left as a minor legend in the bounty hunting world._

_

* * *

_

The ebony haired woman snapped out of her thoughts feeling soft skin against her cheek. Turning sharply, she sighed before realizing it was just Setsuna. She managed to relax trying to keep her breathing under control. She had a feeling she knew what the woman was going to say next.

"Jak, I remember what you did in the past and I thank you for it. You helped me keep from making the mistake of my life but you suffered in my place. Of that I'm sure and I can't forgive myself for that."

"Hush, Suna. I made the decision to put my life on the back burner for you. After all, you wanted to change goals and become a Marshall back then didn't ya?" she smiled softly. "I see you followed through with it."

Setsuna nodded but soon looked down to her knee vividly remembering everything. She had moved on in the last six years of her life trying to let things fade but she never allowed the memory of Jak to leave her mind. The woman was surprised to find her in Dodge after all those years but in a way she was thankful she had appeared giving her a chance to find her again. The gunslinger hadn't changed from what the woman could tell so far. She had those same icy blue eyes that were cold to everyone in the world, and she had built up that wall again to protect herself from others. The Marshall just hoped the woman would let her in again as she had in the past.

"Hawkins, I have to ask you something revolving around a blonde haired Pony Express rider that was here a few weeks ago."

The woman tensed faintly but allowed the woman to ask giving a faint nod of her head.

"Did you see where she may have gone to? I'm afraid some people in Dodge went out to try and capture her along with Governor Kaioh's daughter. Not long after they vanished from town, her father placed a five thousand dollar bounty on Haruka Tenoh's head. People have been going insane in this town ever since then."

"I'm afraid I can't answer that and you probably knew that already."

"I assumed as much. I should have known you had ties to that woman from the guns she wore. However, I doubt you can even ignore the danger she faces with Michiru."

Jak fell silent at those words. Haruka had done something in the heat of the moment that could perhaps cost her life. The gun woman could only assume the duo had left the post in order to keep traveling away in order to find a new line of work. She truly hoped the two could avoid the hunters after them and felt the familiar pang in her gut return. The old hunter sighed moving to rest her head in her hands groaning out angrily.

"It's not to late to help them. I know it may be a long shot but you were the best bounty hunter out there, Jacklyn." whispered Setsuna moving a place a hand on her shoulder tenderly.

"I'm stuck without a working horse, Suna. I do know what I can do to help them without tipping off the hunters. A worker from the post is suppose to be here tomorrow to pick up some horse supplies for the post. I can pass him a note to give to Blondy to make sure she realizes the danger she has put herself into. It's the only way I know to help them right now until my horse is well again."

The Marshall slowly moved her hand down to pull the gun woman's face out of her position only to let her red eyes match the blue ones she had missed for six long years. Jak glanced up and found herself reaching up placing a soft kiss to the woman's cheek.

"I have to get to them and bring them in before someone else kills them. Help me by making me a Regulator, Suna."

The kiss caught the Marshall off guard and her cheeks flushed a little pink. Clearing her throat a little, she glanced away from the rider mulling over the option the woman had given her. It was in the best interest in all parties involved having Deadeye return to what she had once done in the past, yet it would cost the Marshall quite a bit of credibility in her profession. The woman remained silent for what seemed like hours which only turned out to be five minutes while coming to her decision.

"I'll do that, Jak. The debt will be paid back but you have to promise me something too. Don't ever abandon me again now that you have found me."

The rider smiled faintly and gave a light nod. " I don't intend to lose you a second time in my life, Suna."

"You shouldn't have left me to begin with. You know damn well you had me falling for you and you went off and did something extremely stupid. I suppose it's a trait that's carried on to your student." The Marshall couldn't resist the teasing tone of her voice as she spoke.

Jak merely chuckled before clearing her throat a little. As much as she hated to admit it, the law woman had a point. Haruka was quick to judgment and quick to impulses of her own will and Jak could only kick herself in the ass for realizing she had rubbed off on the blonde so well. She only hoped Blondy had been listening to her lessons on traveling and avoiding detection when survival was needed. It would be a lesson soon put to the ultimate test.


	8. The Hunt Begins

Author note: The following chapter does contain girl/girl action for a short time. If it bothers you don't read the first half of the chapter.

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The note Jak had passed to Wade had found it's place in Haruka's hand a few days later at the post. The blonde took the letter and walked to the bunk house where Michiru was busy enjoying a warm bath to wash away quite a bit of the dirt she had collected on her body while staying with Haruka. She didn't expect the door to open to reveal her tall and handsome rider though she quickly frowned seeing the troubled expression her her face.

"What's wrong, Ruka?" she asked wanting to put her mind at ease.

"It's a warning from Jak. It seems your father put a five thousand dollar bounty on my head in order to have you returned to Dodge." responded the blonde slowly.

Michiru sighed leaning back in the hot water in the tub. The news bothered her greatly now having to worry even more over the well being of her newly acquired lover. The blonde folded up the letter placing it into the front right pocket of her shirt only to feel the eyes of her woman on her. She couldn't hide her emotions away from the violinist and she knew it. Silently, she walked over to the window to look out standing closer to Michiru who moved a wet hand to grab hers intertwining their fingers together. It amazed the blonde how easily the worry could fade with such a simple gesture from the bathing woman.

"We'll be okay. Somehow we'll be able to move on from this." whispered Michiru looking up to Haruka softly.

The woman sighed and looked down to her soon leaning down to press her lips softly against hers feeling the urge to let the woman know just how much she cared about her. She was surprised to feel a tug on her upper body bringing her closer to the tub to let Michiru coil her arms around her neck keeping her near her. Their kiss deepened and the fear and worries melted away for the time being to them both. Although the feeling of her hair becoming wet caught the blonde off guard and she sputtered coughing a bit. Michiru had drawn away from their kiss to playfully dump a bit of water over her worried lover's head to bring her out of her mood.

"Michi! You nearly drowned the letter." she grumbled unbuttoning her drenched shirt smoothly though sounded quite annoyed.

"I'm sorry, love. I couldn't resist and besides you need a bath worse than I do. Join me, please?" she whispered.

The blonde groaned a bit before walking to the door of the small bathroom to latch it tight knowing how some of the idiots would try to walk in on them otherwise. Approaching Michiru, Haruka leaned down and softly kissed her again rather enjoying the connection. Over the past few weeks they had known one another, they had quickly bonded and became extremely close. Michiru was all the blonde cared for and she had given up her riding for the post having been fired by Dobson earlier in the day for her actions. A lot was going through her mind but she found a blank forming upon feeling those skilled finger working on removing the dark emerald western shirt she wore. Those fingers were smooth and tender no matter how Michiru touched her, the woman was always taken back by how soft she truly felt. She didn't notice her shirt fall to the floor as her eyes closed just allowing her lover to bring her away from the world and into their own little domain.

After a few moments, the rider's clothes rested in a pile near her lover's dress as she adjusted herself into the tub holding her lover to her tenderly. The water was hot against their skin causing them both to flush up a little enjoying the time together. The blonde remained close holding onto Michiru as if she'd lose her and the smaller woman turned to kiss her lover tenderly. With each tender kiss given to her lips and cheek, she relaxed looking down into Michiru's eyes.

"You know I love you, Michi. I never want to lose you." she whispered leaning down allowing her rougher lips to connect to the woman's mouth.

The violinist lost herself against the taller woman's mouth. Her heart skipped a few beats before thumping even harder in her ribcage. Nervous adrenaline found itself used toward the blonde from the small woman as she twisted to straddle her hips, cupping her face into her smooth hands and kissed her with far more passion than Haruka imagined existed. The blonde blinked stunned at first before coiling a muscle arm around the thin waist of her lover encouraging her to continue with her loving affections. Michiru gladly complied allowing her lips to cross down over her neck, and collarbone sweetly trying to relax Haruka even more. Her work was doing its job putting the blonde into a completely relaxed state of being losing herself in the moment only waking out of it letting out a moan as Michiru's mouth encircled one of her nipples giving a playful nip. The moan only gave her short companion more cause to softly tease her chest with her mouth while a hand drifted tenderly beneath the water stroking below the fit torso she enjoyed seeing many times before.

However as they continued their love making, the sound of guns going off caused the blonde to move out of the tub only to glance through the window avoiding having her body against it. The gun fire continued and she cursed angrily grabbing for her clothes getting dressed in a frenzy to keep her skin alive.

"Michiru, get out and stay clear of the windows. Get dressed and hurry!" growled the blonde who didn't waste time tucking in her shirt. She was far too concerned in protecting her lover and shooting whoever it was that started firing on the out post.

The blonde unlocked the door and toss Michiru one of her pistols knowing she could shoot a gun. It was a talent the blonde found out when the woman stole her gun to show her how to shot. Nonetheless, Haruka still felt edgy with Michiru in potential danger. Kicking the door open, she moved quickly and ducked down avoiding the windows as the glass shattered from a load gun shot blast. The blonde had no doubts that it belonged a shotgun of sorts and cursed. They were stuck like sitting ducks in the small bunk house as bounty hunters continued to attack the post. it wasn't long until some of the attackers fell to the ground as the workers responded firing back. Even Dobson moved to defend his land firing off mulitple shots with his Winchester rifle which in turn bought the duo the time they needed to run to the barn to get out of the out post. However as they ran, Haruka turned and fired off multiple shots killing two men getting nicked by a bullet. She didn't have time to register that she had been grazed on her right side. She was too focused on getting the saddle on her horse and getting Michiru secured to ride out.

They were quick to bolt out of the barn doors running toward the woods off of the property line causing the bounty hunters to curse and regroup to trail after them. The blonde kept hold of her lover's waist urging her horse onward toward the mountains needing to get to some ground where even the must feared bounty hunters dared to travel into. The Indian lands were dangerous territories to wander into especially when the ground were porminently filled with Crow and Lakota natives. Haruka had explored the lands once before with Jak present and remembered the old trails which would keep them alive and perhaps give them the time they needed to make their hunters withdraw from the hunt.

The bounty hunters stopped in their tracks and made the decision to not even venture into the deadly territory. Many who entered the hollowed grounds never returned alive and in one piece. The Indian tribes never took a liking to the whites attempting to enter their sacred locations and it often caused great tension and war between the peoples of both sides. However, that animosity bought the duo valuable time to rest their horse as well as to nurse their blonde hadn't expected such a force to come hunting after her and was thankful to still be alive. Those hard lessons did actually sink into her memory and she thanked god that they did. She was exhausted and paler than usual to which Michiru quickly remedied. The smaller woman took care of the gash in her lover's side letting her rest afterwords while keeping a look out for a few hours.

Never before had Michiru felt freightened in her life, that was until now. She dreaded what awaited them around every rock and dark corner in fear that they would be shot. The last thing she ever wanted to witness was the love of her life being gunned down in her defense. The thoughts plagued her but she assured herself nothing like that would happen if Jak had given them the warning. Of course, her eyes didn't read over the letter but she had to believe something in the mentor of her blonde meant good intentions with writing to them. As quickly as the fear had come, it left leaving behind a slow boiling anger in the pit of the petite woman's stomach. She knew had put up that bounty and wanted nothing more than to smack him across the face as hard as she could muster.

"Damn him." she growled. She was never going to forgive her father for taking the greedy route out of his problems. She could only hope Jak could get to them before some faster shot did.

While the woman was lost in her thoughts, the blonde stirred slowly in her light slumber. The injury was shallow but would heal in time. She had been lucky she had moved when she had or else it probably would have gone through her liver causing a mortal wound. While her body remained in a calm position, her dreams began to twist and turn bringing images through her mind she truly wished not to see again. After a few minutes of trying to wake herself up, the blonde shot up only to yell out a string of curses. The injury stung like hell to her and had started to bleed again from the sudden jerk of motion. Haruka grabbed at the wound and held it gently while her mind tried to settle itself down. Those images in her dream were far to real to her to be nothing but fictional.

"Haruka, settled down. You're okay." murmured Michiru as she moved back over to her lover laying the pistol aside for the moment.

Feeling the tender kiss to her lips, Haruka settled down. "I'm sorry, Michi. I dragged you into this whole mess."

"Ruka...it's not all your fault that we are in this mess. Either way we are in it together and I don't blame you for it. We'll figure out how to get things cleared up and how to keep alive. I'm not afraid of what's ahead as long as you keep yourself from doing anything stupid."

"Hey now, I haven't done that yet. Besides, I do recall some tips on how to stay alive when being followed. Though I think we will be safe for a few days if we camp here in Lakota territory. As long as we don't bother the tribe, I don't think they will bother with us."

"How can you be so sure of that?"

"Jak brought me hunting out here a few times. I know the tribe is here watching over their lands well since I saw them everytime we came out to hunt the deer. However, we always gave proper respect to the natives and never crossed any boundary of theirs. They seemed to give us the respect as well since they never paid us much mind when we crossed into their territory time and time again to retrieve food for ourselves and the others at the post."

"Oh, I see. I'm surprised they seem so trusting of you two given the stories I've heard."

"The stories you probably heard were derived from petrified settlers who had no business trying to cross their lands. The natives don't usually attack unless they feel provoked. Unfortunately, not a lot of people seem to see them as their equals. If anything, I believe they are better than us because of how they have endured so much with us taking away their food source and constantly fighting with them over land that rightfully belongs to them." Haruka sighed rubbing the back of her head a little.

Michiru listened intently to her lover speak. It seemed the natives were the people she looked up to and Michiru could understand why after listening to her speak. She had come to understand throug their first week on the trail together. The blonde was much more at ease sleeping under a starry sky than she ever was under a building's roof. It was like she herself was a wild and untamed force to her reckoned with and yet, Michiru could tell she had reigned in that wild spirit for herself. For that, she was thankful.

"That puts me at ease though knowing they won't try to hurt us as long as we don't cross them. Kind of odd for a security feeling isn't it?" smirked the violinist.

The blonde sighed. "It works and that's what we need right now. Jak won't be able to get to us for at least a month. Her horse got injured in Dodge so we have to rely on one another."

"How fantastic. We're stuck running from god knows who in these lands in order to stay alive." sighed her companion.

"It's not you they are after, Michiru. It's me. I'm the one with the five thousand dollars on my head."

"Now don't go blaming yourself. I left willingly without explaining things to my father. I'm just as much in the wrong as you are."

"Why are we arguing over whose fault it is?" cracked the blonde with a soft chuckle.

Michiru smiled shifting to sit alongside her only to check her side seeing the wound was doing better than it had been. She had been worried when she first spotted the blood but she soon came to realize it was just a flesh wound and wasn't anything serious to note. Nonetheless, it would be rough for the next month or two if they were being hunted down like wild dogs. Her father seemed to have turned into a monster after she had left ordering such a ridiculous reward for capturing a woman who didn't even steal her away. Michiru only hoped Haruka would figure out how to do the right thing without destroying what they had started as a couple.


	9. Renegades

After a few days of camping out on the Indian grounds, Michiru spotted a scout in the distance on a painted horse and stopped in her tracks. She had been working on cleaning Haruka's shirt in the river water causing her to be away from the blonde. Her heart started to pound a bit faster but she closed her eyes and focused her lover's words echoing in her head. 'They won't hurt you if you give them reason to leave you alone. Never take more than you need from the land and they will let you alone in peace. Do not panic.' The scout in the distance watched the woman from his location and raised a brow. However before he decided to turn to the tribe to let them know a stranger was there, his dark brown eyes spotted something moving in the distance away from the strange woman. He could only catch a moment of seeing a light colored head of hair and knew who it was then. He turned his bare heels into his horse's side and rode off to the tribe to report his findings leaving the woman to wash the clothes in peace.

Michiru relaxed letting out a long sigh as the rider rode off only to vanish in the higher hills. It was like she had seen a ghost but she quickly came to realize there was nothing to be fearful of. All her life she had been told horror stories about the native people all over the country, and it had influenced her quite a bit. She had allowed those tales to blind her for what was really true about the people and she felt extremely guilty as she finished her task to return to the camp site. Noticing Haruka was no where in sight, the woman settled down onto a log to sit and let herself mull over all the things running through her head. It didn't take her long to drift off into her own little world.

The woman's lover had been tracking down a deer to take for food for the two of them. She had a hard time crafting a bow but the blonde was determined not to use a gun. It would be a dead give away to everyone around that someone didn't belong in the area. The less Haruka gave to those hunting her, the better off she'd be in the long run. Carefully, she stalked a decent sized doe toward the grassy grounds. The animal didn't seem to notice her as she was too busy munching on the ground. The hunter slowly crawled out toward some cover before getting an aim to shoot toward the animal with her bow and an arrow. Haruka only allowed the arrow to fly when she knew she could get a clean kill without wounding another doe behind the animal she wanted to take. The last thing she needed was to take more from the land than she needed. One deer could feed Michiru and herself for a good while and there was no need to waste a second deer. The animal shifted out from behind the target and Haruka let the arrow fly releasing the string before hearing a loud thud knowing she had taken the animal down. She spent the next half hour tracking it down and taking all the meat she could carry back to the camp with her. However, there was something she wanted to do with sme of the meat she had harvested knowing she wouldn't be able to cure all of it and it would decay to ruin.

"Michiru..."she murmured softly giving a sharp whistle before hand.

The teal haired woman snapped out of her thoughts and stood up spotting her lover with a large deer hide tied to her back with leather strands. It didn't take her long to figure out she had gotten food for them and took a moment to walk over to her to help her with the heavy load.

"I didn't expect you to get one so easily, Ruka."

"I can shoot a bow rather easily, hon. However, there's something I'd like to do with the meat I know we won't be able to eat in time. I know you aren't fond of the idea of being on Indian ground but I feel as if i need to let the tribe know we are here because we need to be and that we are not going to cause any problems. I want to ride to the tribe boundary and give them some of the meat as well as the hide. I won't be able to use it for anything in the time span we have but they could use it for some clothes for a child or for a skin for other things."

Michiru smiled gently understanding the reason and gave her lover a nod. "Fine, just promise to be careful and to return in one piece, okay?"

"I will, you just rest and keep yourself safe okay? I know you can shoot so don't be afraid to use the pistol I left with you."

"I won't. Just be safe Ruka." She leaned in and kissed her blonde lover tenderly. Haruka returned the gesture softly before moving to jump onto her horse.

She didn't bother with tacking him up and merely rode him bareback with the rope she had used for a halter and a reign set. It doubled as a pair of reigns in case they had to flee during the night hours. It was also one of the other tricks she had learned from her mentor. She leaned down and kissed her lover's forehead sweetly before taking the pack of food she had placed inside of the hide with her. Michiru had taken care of placing the meat they would use aside in a safe place while her lover rode off into the distance leaving her alone once more.

The horse seemed to fly across the grassy plains and the blonde rider just kept her patience on the animal. The wind while on horseback was her escape from the world even for just a little while. She always felt more at ease on the animal's back than she did on her own two feet. In a way, Jak always joked that she should have been born in a native tribe due to the way she could hang onto the animal. At times the blonde started to wonder if she had a point but she knew it was impossible. She had been born in the east and raised by an upscale family only to rebel against them for trying to mold her into something she wasn't. When she came of age she ran as fast as she could on a horse and went west where she kept feeling that place of security. It was her true home and she felt it as she stopped her horse moving to a small spring where she remembered was the beginning to the Indian tribe grounds. She did not wish to cross it knowing someone was around. Instead the rider remained mounted for a time before spotting a warrior appear on foot with a spear in hand watching her. Haruka dismounted slowly and carried the deer fur to the line standing on her side motioning for the man to come to her to take it. He seemed hesitant at first but he realized she was the blonde a scout had seen earlier and that she was an ally. He reached out for the hide and calmly unwrapped a portion of it to find food. Glancing to her curiously, he looked puzzled.

"For your tribe. Food and peace offering from me." murmured Haruka carefully adding hand gestures in case he couldn't understand the language.

It wasn't long until he nodded understanding what she had said. As quickly as he had appeared, he vanished without leaving a trace of himself behind. The blonde understood they would continue to coexist as long as she remained on their grounds. She turned and wasted no time riding back to her beloved knowing the warrior would give the gift to his people. Her horse ran hard and quickly across the grounds leaping over logs and Haruka just remained on his back leaning down low on the animal's back. She closed her eyes allowing her horse to take the lead while taking in the feeling of the wind running against her body only to hear the cry of a hawk in the distance. Reopening her eyes, she gave out a yell and urged her horse faster which he did for her never stopping until she got within distance of her safe haven. Seeing the trees, she slowed the animal down and continued at a walk finding Michiru fast asleep with the pistol within reach. The blonde sighed dismounting her horse letting him pick at the ground.

"You must truly be exhausted." remarked the blonde tossing her coat over her lover's body to keep her comfortable. Somehow it didn't disturb her from her slumber.

Letting Michiru rest well into the evening, Haruka kept an eye out for any movement around their location. While some bounty hunters wouldn't dare cross into the lands, others would be stupid enough for the kind of bounty to do it. Haruka couldn't allow herself time to relax or lower her guard even if she did have a graze wound on her side. Too much was riding on her ability to keep a low profile for the time being, to be foolish or forgetful on her duty. Grumbling faintly, she closed her tired eyes as the sun set hearing a howl off in the distance. The location did house quite a few wolf packs but they rarely bothered with people unless extremely desperate for food. The howl signaled they were about five miles away and Haruka just relaxed hearing the howling songs letting herself drift off into a needed slumber against a boulder slumped over with her pistol in hand.

* * *

For three long months the duo kept moving further into the native grounds as bounty hunter grew more bold in their efforts to capture the blonde rider. She kept using old tricks she had learned trying to keep herself from being caught but one day her luck ran dry on keeping Michiru safe with her. Haruka was out trying to get some wild game for food when she heard a scream from the camp in the cliffs. She turned sharply mounting her horse leaving behind the rabbits she had been trailing in order to attempt to get to camp in time. As she got there, five horses bolted off but only three had riders.

"Michiru!" yelled the blonde as she tried to catch up and chase the men. Unfortunately, they were far too ahead of her and she couldn't handle the rough ride from exhaustion.

Cursing furiously, the rider returned to her camp to try and gather herself up. What she found caused her to faintly smirk though she had to wonder just how Michiru pulled off killing two of her attempted captors. On the ground nearest the fire place was a red headed man who Haruka didn't recognize but she kicked him over inspecting his features. He wore a brown shirt and seemed to have been neglecting to shave for a while. Next to his side rested a brown haired male in his late forties who just probably moved too slow trying to disarm the teal haired woman. Growling beneath her breath, the blonde moved gathering up her things bound and determined to get Michiru back and to make the journey to track her down no matter what.

The riders who had captured Michiru moved further south for many miles trying to gain ground away from the blonde in order to exact their trap according to plans. The men came upon a large hunting band of men and started laughing quite a bit before stopping in front of their leader. It was none other than Caleb Marshton and he had plans.

"I take it the bounty killed Ray and Jacob?" he murmured.

"No, she did.." murmured the lead rider pointing to an unconscious Michiru in the saddle of a fourth horse.

Marshton chuckled lightly before adjusting the glove on his right hand. "Take her to the cabin and lock her in the bedroom for the time being. We have traps to ste in order to catch our prey."

The men nodded and did as told by their boss. While Michiru was taken care of, Caleb walked around pacing a bit debating on how to circle around and capture Haruka for the money. His dark eyes closed and he soon started to laugh faintly as his men gave off jokes of how easy it would be to capture the blonde in a canyon area. After an hour, Caleb ordered ten of his men in one direction to wait in the mountain side nearest the river where the gang had crossed escaping the location of the blonde rider. If Caleb knew how she worked, the woman would come charging to get her lover back at any cost without regard for herself. He was counting on her coming in blind with rage in order to kill her for both the bounty and for personal reasons. Glancing down to his right hand which was gloved, her tightened it into a fist with a devilish grin plastered on his face.

Caleb's men eventually spotted a rider working their way down the riverbank at a dead run on horse back two days later. However, from that distance they couldn't exactly tell if it was the blonde prize or not. They assumed it was and three of the men worked down through the rocks before taking aim with their rifles. The guns fired and the sound echoed but the rider remained mounted unflinching in a dead run. The men kept firing off rapidly wasting their ammunition trying to take down their target but they had no idea what they had done by firing off so many gun shots on their location. The rider kept down low against the ebony neck of the black horse and smirked knowing full well the plan was working to her advantage. It was in fact Setsuna who had sprinted down the waterway at top speed drawing their attention away from watching their backs as well as further up the the enemy was distracted, Haruka crossed the river on her horse wasting no time in using the cover as best as she could to blend in and stay hidden from the watchful eyes of Marshton's men. She kept low in the saddle watching the turns and twists continuing to track the horse prints from her camp.

A day ago Setsuna and Jak had come across her and were quickly informed Michiru had been taken away from her. With Jak's knowledge of the lands, she devised a plan that would make them invisible to the renegade group. Setsuna was given Dart to ride as a distraction while Haruka took the time to cross the river and keep tracking the location of Marshton's camp. So far the plan was working but Jak was off on her own having borrowed Setsuna's paint mare to take off into Lakota territory leaving the two on their own for the while. Haruka had no idea what was up her mentor's sleeve but she had agreed to go forward with the plan and kept tracking down through the mountainous terrain for hours before coming across a camp in the far distance while perched upon a mountain's edge. From where she stood on her horse, the blonde could look out passed the tree line spotting make shift tents and an old abandoned cabin where smoke was filtering out through the chimney.

"Just stay strong, Michi. I'm goin to get you out of there somehow." murmured the rider softly.

Marshton and his men at base camp were busy loading up their rifles and getting set up to go back tracking to find the blonde themselves when they heard the echo of the gun shots being fired. With as many as there were, they assumed it was another band of bounty hunters and not the prey they were after. The men grew antsy and soon two took off to go and check in with the mountain group to report back to Caleb. He had a gut feeling they were being taunted somehow by the blonde and was growing furious because of it. He glanced around slowly where he stood looking out toward the mountains and the plains with an eerie feeling that we was being watched. The man was unable to pinpoint it but he could feel someone was watching him.

"Soon enough, you will be mine, Tenoh." he growled firmly moving off into the cabin.

Inside the building, Michiru awoke moving slowly only to wince and grab for the back of her skull. A large lump had formed where a rifle butt had slammed into her head to knock her out in order to bring her to a new location. She winced but slowly looked around through sore and tired eyes realizing nothing was familiar. There was no fire, horse and no Haruka which already put the woman on edge. The pistol she had was gone as well which only made the small woman curse beneath her breath. While adjusting to her surroundings, the door opened and she glared toward it only to spot Marshton enter with his greedy eyes on her.

"I see you finally decided to come around. Bout damned time, woman." he growled.

"What did you do to Haruka?" responded Michiru coldly.

"Wouldn't you like to know? My men are hunting her down as we speak and are going to bring her to me. I'm going to kill her and then take you back to Dodge."

Anger boiled over in the woman and she reached out as Caleb got closer to smack him across the face. He took the hit feeling a sting on his cheek and her also felt something hot leaking down. Michiru had drawn blood with her fingernails which caused the man to turn and belt her across the mouth with his gloved hand. The blow made Michiru turn her head and wince but she didn't show any kind of fear. Glaring daggers at the man, she watched as he drew away with a smug expression on his lips.

"You may as well get used to being alone, Kaioh. Your blonde friend is gonna be dragged back to Dodge and put up on display as a corpse." laughed Caleb as he slipped out of the room only to lock the door as he closed it behind him.

The woman growled rubbing her cheek where a bruise was forming. She did her best to ignore the pain and she slowly looked around. There was no windows or escape routes which she silently cursed about. She was trapped and couldn't help thinking about her blonde rider. Deep down, she prayed she'd be able to out smart the men that had her but she also knew how foolish Haruka could become when emotions blinded her.

"Please don't do anything rash..." she sighed closing her blue eyes.

Michiru sat on the edge of the bed looking into her hands slowly. She knew she had tried to get away from being captured but she could only remember firing off three shots killing two of her attackers before everything went black. Angrily, she clutched her hands into fists strong enough to draw blood with her fingernails on her palms. The thoughts of being overpowered so easily nagged at her and only caused her to curse and focus on the pain in her hands which she had caused in a moment of anger. Wincing, she looked to the small cuts in her palms and sighed.

"I'm sorry, Ruka. I should have escaped into the wood but they cut me off. I hope you fair better than I have." she whispered to herself while using a piece of cloth to dry the blood flowing from her hands slowly.


	10. Blood From a Fallen Angel

The days passed and the blonde was driving herself to insanity being forced to not move from her location by her Marshall companion. Setsuna had arrived a day after taking her trail into a plain region before trading off horses with Jak. When she had found Haruka, she made sure the blonde didn't jump the gun and dive down to go and retrieve Michiru right off the bat. They had been patiently waiting for three days observing from afar with how the camp ran itself.

"I can't do this for one more day, Setsuna." growled Haruka furiously as she tried to busy herself with loading her pistol and rifle.

"You have to sit and wait. Don't worry, she's strong herself and no doubt will survive even longer. After all, it seems they purposely took her to drive you to use your emotions and not your head." chided the law woman as she laid against a rock watching the enemy.

"It worked but damnit they took the one woman I'd die for. I want to get even with those bastards and get her back before I go and turn myself in."

"I know, Haruka. Right now you have to stay focused for her and for the plan to work. I'm not sure where Jak is but I'm sure she's working on helping us."

"Right, like she alone could do much damage to their numbers."

Setsuna sent a sharp glare toward Haruka before climbing back off the rock ridge and into the trees and small little space where they had set up a camp. The glare caught the blonde off guard and she quickly felt a slap strike her across the face from the Marshal. It sent her to drop her gun staring up at the red eyed woman in shock.

"What the fuck was that for?" she hissed.

"For doubting your mentor, rider. That woman has seen more trouble and has killed more men than you could fathom. She also has been through a rough life and you dare to say she can't do much? Do you even know anything of her background?" snapped Setsuna.

The blonde fell silent and shook her head slowly side to side rubbing her face.

"Jak has been through hell and back time and time again for those she cares about. Whether you like it or not, she sees you as a kid sister and is risking her life to help you get the one you love back. She never thinks of herself when she gets into this mode of hers and it's what sent her to prison for four years of her life. You keep that in mind next time you start to doubt her intentions, Tenoh."

Haruka fell silent and looked away in shame from how she had acted. She could sense the anger in Setsuna's voice and from that could determine the woman herself had tight bonds with her mentor. It made her realize she wasn't on her own in the mission of getting Michiru back and it also woke her up. There were people she could trust and they were willing to lay their life on the line to help her. It never occurred to her that anyone existed like that since she moved to the west. Sure, Jak had helped her learn new things but it never sunk in just how much the woman cared about the blonde until Setsuna explained it to her.

"I'm sorry, Setsuna. I never realized Hawkins saw me that way. I have to refocus my efforts in waiting for her to come to us before doing anything. I shouldn't doubt her as I have. I'm just frustrated that I can't get to Michiru." she sighed sadly.

The Marshall turned glancing to her blonde companion and nodded lightly. "I know. Don't worry about it but I had to wake you up to realize what you got. Leave it to Jak for now, she'll come through for you. Lord knows she did for me."

Haruka glanced up watching Setsuna return to observing Marshton's gang from the rocks. She couldn't help but begin to wonder what the woman meant with her last comment. So Jak had a history with the woman? She shrugged it off before finishing her task of cleaning her guns. It was the only thing helping her to keep her emotions in check for the time being as she waited. It was never easy to sit and wait when she had something she wanted to do but she wasn't about to anger Setsuna again. After all, the woman had a hard hand and Haruka valued her ability to chew hard food.

The gang of men that decided to trail the black horse's tracks continued to follow them out into the plains before they stopped looking around in the open. The tracks moved off into well known Indian territory heading right to a native camp. The trackers refused to go any further and so the group remained where they were looking all around having a bad feeling of what was to come. Two of the lead riders spotted movement off in the distance and quickly bolted toward it seeing the familiar shape of a horse and rider in black which they assumed was Tenoh but they didn't realize it was Deadeye Hawkins. They ran hard and quick with their animals drawing out their rifles only to fire off two shots. The sound echoed around and Jak merely smirked before glancing down on the opposite side of the ridge line she was standing upon with Dart. Below was a large band of Lakota warriors who were more than ready to go after the attackers. Shifting in her saddle, Hawkins spurred her horse up and he reared giving the signal to the lead warrior of the band.

With a sudden echo of warrior cries, the group of fifteen renegades quickly tried to turn tail and run while some fired at the flooding of Indian warriors. Arrows and bullets flew through the air as well as the sound of yells and screams. Jak rode with the native people firing off shots and killing a few men before watching as riders started falling off their animals to lay for the vultures to pick at. The renegades barely escaped with enough riders but a small group of native scouts and hunters chased after them intending to make sure none of the white riders survived. She sighed softly riding up to the leader of the warrior extending out her hand to him in thanks. He took the offered hand and smiled speaking in English to her.

"We have helped you in response to our bond, Hawkins. We will continue to help til your battle is over." remarked the man calmly.

Jak smiled softly. "I thank you for your help, Graywolf. I will need your warriors to help my family survive this war."

"You are family, Hawkins. We shall help."

With the words spoken, the warriors retreated to circle around Marshton's camp from behind after a span of five days. Warriors silently moved in through the mountain range keeping covered in the darkness of the trees and boulders. They truly were the ones belonging to earth the way every little bit of cover seemed to make them invisible to even the best trained eyes. Jak had a great respect for Graywolf and his tribe and owed them quite a bit herself. She had lived with them for three years of her life after her first bounty hunt went sour. She had been left for dead in the plains and Graywolf stumbled upon her with a few of his warriors. They returned her to their camp where they nursed her back to health and eventually Graywolf became a blood brother to her. She had hunted with his people and gave them everything she could to repay them before moving on to find her own path. The warrior who was now chief of his tribe, was not afraid to help his blood sister when she came to seek for his aid leaving her friends to their own devices.

All the while with the warriors moving into place, Marshton grew anxious and sent five riders out to find the group of fifteen that were supposed to have returned to camp two days earlier. He was pacing back and forth and actually allowed Michiru outside to watch the men work on their horses and prepare for a fight to capture their prey.

"You aren't going to catch her, Marshton. She's smarter than you could ever be." growled the woman firmly as she sat with a man watching her from behind armed with a shotgun. It seemed Caleb wasn't about ot let her have free reign and wanted to make sure his bait would stay where he needed her to remain.

"Oh, I'll catch my meal ticket, sweetheart. After I do, I'll take her head back to Dodge and hand you over to your daddy all safe and sound. He'll give me even more money for that." he cackled loudly.

"You are just a sick bastard. Haruka will kill you before you even get a chance to touch her."

"Keep dreaming, sweety. The blonde is gonna die."

A rider rode in quickly after checking out the group of fifteen and was frantic as he skidded to a stop upon his horse. Looking around for Caleb, he dismounted and ran for the cabin's porch where he found him.

"They are all dead, boss. Every last one of em are dead." stuttered the rider.

"Who are?"

"Larry's group. Every last one of em are dead. Arrows through their backs and three of em had gun shots to the head. The Indians know we're here, boss."

"Calm down, Jameson. I highly doubt those red skins will come and bother us with the fire power we got to back us all up. Tell the boys to start mounting up and to ride the border around here. If they see the blonde tell em to bring her in to me but if you find anyone else, kill em on sight."

"Yessir."

The men did as ordered and slowly moved to patrol the border. When they moved in close behind the cabin a few miles off, they made the mistake of filtering in through the trees and the brush. The riders were quickly taken out by native warriors who caught them off guard and silenced them with a knife blade to the throat. However, the warriors made certain to grab the horses and remove all tack from them before letting them go. The animals wandered back into camp one by one from all ends causing the remaining men to get nervous and jumpy. Michiru merely smirked knowing somehow Haruka had to be out there playing mind games on Caleb's men. She laughed as Caleb started to grow weary. It only worsened as a rider came back in being dragged by his lariat rope behind his horse. The man was dead by a gunshot through the chest showing whoever was around was being serious.

The sun started to go down casting off shadows all around the camp. The renegades were all on high alert as they stayed up with their guns waiting and watching for any movement in the distance. What they had not noticed however, was the native sneaking closer and closer in a circle all around the camp staying in wait. Some even found Setsuna and Haruka only to be explained by Jak as she arrived in the small camp of theirs. She remained at ease speaking in Lakota to the warriors who were by the marshall and blonde. The men nodded and moved silently back through the trees vanishing from sight.

"Since when do you speak native?" murmured Haruka obviously a bit unnerved having thought she was dead.

"You'll find the answer out to that shortly. However, right now our focus is to move down into that camp. They are jump as hell right now after I toyed with them a little. I suggest Blondy, that you come in from the right to get into the back of that cabin while I draw Marshton and his men out front by challenging him. Suna, I want you to lay low and take aim from a distance with my rifle. You've always been a better sharpshooter distance wise than i ever have been. I want you to cover me from behind if anyone gets too close."

Setsuna nodded calmly moving to take the long rifle out of the leather case on Dart. She sighed softly taking a moment to look to Jak as they stood together. Jak's blue eyes seemed soft but they also showed a bit of fear for the first time in a long time. Without a word spoken after a minute, the two parted ways and Haruka quickly saddled up her horse working her way down through an old deer trail to get behind the cabin slowly. She was ready when Jak made her move to slowly sneak in with the opening to get Michiru and get out and away before the blood would run everywhere. Her body felt nervous and she felt herself growing a bit sick at the prospect of not making it in time to get her lover out of harms way. Forcing herself to let it go, she kept a steady walk passing many warriors without noticing it until she was in place.

Setsuna made her way onto the ridge line within the boulders finding a spot where she could see everyone in the distance clearly. She had to make sure she could see every single movement of the men as Jak's life very well depended on her if someone tried to shoot her in the back. The Marshall wasn't going to let her die if she could do something about it. After all, they had promised that neither of them would leave the other behind again, ever.

With everyone in their places, Jak took one final moment to glance up toward the sky. The sun was casting a shadow even in her direction and in the distance she heard a few hawks screech out in the air. Looking toward Dart, she stroked his neck before mounting up and turning him around with the reigns. It all came down to how she handled the men in the camp below. Everything was riding on her shoulders to make the first move and if she screwed up, she knew innocent people could very well die in a crossfire. The regulator rode on down the mountain pathway and moved onto the dirt trail leading to the cabin location and camp. Instantly she noticed Marshton's men take aim toward her but they stopped at the order of letting her through. She moved in carefully keeping her eyes alert and her ears open before stopping Dart in the middle of the encampment of renegades. The men slowly surrounded her watching as Marshton got off the porch to approach her.

"Well, well, well. If it ain't Deadeye. To what do I owe this pleasure of seeing you again?" smirked Marshton.

Jak remained relaxed in her saddle. "I came for Michiru and to make sure you and your men don't walk out of these grounds alive, Caleb."

"Oh really now? Well, I suppose you haven't realized the fact that you are surrounded by thirty men here. You aren't getting out of here alive, woman. I'll kill you personally for what you did to me."

"Then let's get it over with, Marshton. I haven't got all day to play your games. I took out your border patrol men one by one. I was the one that made that corpse warning your men witnessed. You should be afraid with crossing my path a second time. I haven't forgotten what you did to my horse after all, you son of a bitch."

The woman calmly dismounted off of her horse letting him move away toward the barn. One of Caleb's men took a hold of his reigns keeping a hold of the large animal. He wasn't going to risk the woman taking off injured on the animal to escape the grounds which would be her resting place. At least that's what Marshton kept telling himself as he walked forward showing off his gun waiting for Hawkins to do the same. The old bounty hunter kicked back her duster sides revealing her twin pistols before moving to get ready to draw on the man in front of her. Michiru watched from the porch and took the time to notice that the shotgun man had moved to pay attention to the spectacle about to unfold in front of the cabin. Moving very slowly and carefully, she slipped off from the porch without much noise and ran toward the woods behind the cabin. Spotting her running, Haruka ran out on her horse to pick her up only causing a lot of noise as her horse let out a loud nicker. It caught the attention of Marshton's men and they quickly turned to fire toward Haruka only to have bullets fly into their sides and chest as Hawkins started firing off her pistols as quickly as she could trying to cover for her friend.

With each shot, she left herself open from behind. Five men started in on aiming for her only to be shot in the back from a distance as Setsuna started moving her sights from one man to the next as quickly as she could attempting to protect Jak. In the midst of all the shooting going on, Jak ran toward her horse hollering at him to take off. Dart bolted stomping one of the renegades in his path and kept going straight sending the signal out to Graywolf's warriors who quickly started firing their arrows to take down more of Marshton's men buying time for Haruka to flee on horseback with Michiru clinging to her back. The blonde rode fast and hard up into the mountains where Setsuna was shooting barely able to keep the remaining men from shooting at Jak. While more people moved in, Setsuna found it hard to distinguish between which men were with who and quickly had to move to her horse to ride down to the fray.

The Lakota warriors kept fighting killing more of Marshton's men before chasing them down as more than half of them bolted on horseback to flee for their lives. Caleb remained and took notice of Jak's back being toward him as she fired off a shoot at a man attempting to shoot Graywolf in the back. A wicked smirk crossed the gloved man's face as he raised his pistol and pulled the hammer back. As Setsuna urged her horse to run even faster, she heard a gun shot and watched as the black figure fell to the ground in a heap. The sight panicked the Marshall and she spurred the horse on before firing off a shot at Marshton shooting him right between the eyes without hesitation.

"Jak! Jacklyn!" she screamed dismounting off her horse to run toward the woman on the ground.

She quickly moved onto her knees turning the woman over on her back to cradle her in her lap stroking her face. "Speak to me, Jak...Please don't die on me.."

Jak opened her eyes slowly feeling quite a lot of pain coursing through her body as she laid in the dirt. Her vision was blurred but she blinked a few times to refocus it glancing up to Setsuna. She slowly reached up with a gloved hand and offered a slight smirk.

"I guess I broke my promise to you...Suna..."she murmured slowly being careful how she breathed. The pain was excruciating but she was forcing herself to stay conscious.

"Don't speak like that, you'll be fine honey. You'll be just fine. I'll get you to a doctor and you'll pull through this.."

"Suna...the bastard got me good. I ain't gonna make it to a doctor..."

Setsuna started to tear up fighting back the urge to cry out as best as she could but she couldn't stop a few from trickling down and falling onto Jak's chest. Further down at her torso the Marshall noticed the exit wound bleeding out rather quickly, and knew internal organs had been shredded from the bullet. it didn't ease the pain she felt in her chest as she carefully removed the glove from Hawkin's left hand to tenderly interlock their fingers together.

"Jacklyn...you promised me you wouldn't leave me again. How am I suppose to go on without you?" she wept.

Grunting a bit, Jak locked eyes with the woman she had loved for a long time and gave a light smile. "If you get lonely look to the sky and listen closely. I will always be watching you, Suna. I never got to say it in the past but-" She winced coughing up a little blood trying to hang on just for a few moments longer. "...I love you..."

Setsuna closed her eyes bowing her head down letting her emotions loose as she started crying. " I love you too...Jak..."

As she closed her eyes tightly to weep, the warmth in her lover's hand faded away and her finger grew relaxed. Jak's body slowly shook before becoming eerily still allowing death to take over. Setsuna remained in the dirt holding onto the body crying for a long while as the natives returned from getting every one of the renegades. They stopped spotting the sight and slowly bowed their heads as Graywolf returned to witness the Marshall over the familiar black duster figure. He felt his throat tighten up as he dismounted off his horse to slowly walk forward toward the green haired woman. Reaching out, he laid a firm hand to her shoulder watching her weep.

"Do not cry for her, for she has only moved on in the circle. She would not want you weeping in sadness." he murmured lightly with his own vocals cracking. It was difficult for the man to see the body of his blood sister on the ground. "We will escort you and your friends out of our lands but the fate of Hawkins body is yours."

The woman wiped away her tears before slowly moving to lay Jacklyn's body on the ground not noticing the blood stain on her shirt and pants right away. Watching the body for a few minutes, Setsuna reached up and touched the tanned flesh of the Indian chief.

"She was part of your family and thus belongs on your lands, Graywolf. I just wish to be able to come here when I need to without any trouble." she finally spoke.

"It shall be done, Star rider." remarked the man. He turned and spoke in his native tongue having two warriors move forward to take a hold of the body only to drape it over Dart's back.

Setsuna moved silently picking up the gun belt off of the ground where Jak had left it in the gun fight and slowly touched the handles of the ebony pistols. Shaking away the feelings, she slipped the guns around her waist and mounted her own horse moving off to ride to retrieve Haruka and Michiru and inform them of the news. Haruka couldn't believe what she heard from her mouth and at first greatly denied the truth to herself. She shouted and took off alone onto the plains racing for miles upon miles away losing herself on the back of her horse. Michiru had made a motion to go after her but Setsuna stopped her quickly with a hand.

"This is something she must handle alone, now Michiru. She will come back." remarked the Marshall.

After a period of time, Setsuna and Michiru rode together with Graywolf's men to his tribe grounds where women and children came out to see their warriors return but also to see that a family member had fallen in battle. Dart walked slowly feeling the weight of his rider on his back but even he knew she was already gone from the way her body was tied to the saddle. He moved slowly being lead by Graywolf's hand before coming to a stop in the tribe grounds. Setsuna dismounted after Michiru and moved to take Dart from Graywolf trying to keep her composure. Together the two walk with the warriors behind them to bury Jak in the ground in the location of four other fallen warriors of great respect. Once the burial was finished, Setsuna walked back to sit down at the fire staring into the flames feeling her heart aching.

Michiru felt terrible as well having not known Jak all to well. She was more worried over Haruka and what she was doing. It scared her not knowing what her lover was off doing to herself and she only hoped she came back to her in one piece. After all, Haruka had been close to Jak for the last six months and she could relate to the pain having lost her mother who she was extremely close to in the past. Bowing her head down a bit, the teal haired woman let out a sigh before looking toward Setsuna. The woman had to be feeling rough and the violinist could only imagine the kind of pain she felt from losing the one she loved. It hurt to see the usually strong Marshall actually silently weeping by the tribe's fire.

Off in the distance, Haruka slowly made her way to the tribe grounds having tracked Dart's prints. The blonde had rode for a long period of time causing her horse to be foamed up from all the running she had to do alone on the plains. Coming within range, she walked the beast before dismounting and loosening the saddle on him letting him follow her in on foot to the main grounds finding Michiru and Setsuna by the fire not talking much at all. The blonde approached them both and stopped only to clear her throat causing the two women to raise their heads to look toward her direction. Her usually calm and vast green eyes were clouded and red from irritation and her face looked red and a bit puffy from shedding tears while riding. She was a wreck but she had stopped her tears on her return. Sighing softly, Haruka looked toward Setsuna seeing the woman still had wet cheeks.

"Marshall, I'm going to Dodge. Too much blood has been spilled, and I have had enough of watching people suffer.I want it to stop..." cracked Haruka. Her voice was hoarse and barely able to be heard but Michiru heard her words and soon rose to hold her lover close to her.

Haruka collapsed to her knees within Michiru's comforting arms weeping into her shoulders once again as the stars started to come out in the night sky. In the distance, wolves gave out sorrowful sounding howls until late into the night putting Michiru and Haruka to sleep. Setsuna remained awake staring up into the starry sky above only closing her eyes to listen to the howls and the crackling of the dying fire until deep into the evening.


	11. Facing Fears

After leaving the tribe after a week of trying to get themselves back together, the three woman left to start their journey to Dodge City. Setsuna took the lead riding Dart as Graywolf insisted she take the horse as hers. She finally gave in leaving him her paint horse in exchange making a pact with him in friendship. Haruka still seemed out of it as she rode slowly alongside the law woman with Michiru's arms around her waist. The violinist had tried her best to help Haruka anyway she could finding it was difficult. However, together they had to face their ultimate fear of returning to where all the trouble began under the watchful eye of Setsuna. The blonde owed it to her fallen mentor and she knew she probably should have done it in the first place in order to avoid the amount of bloodshed that had happened. She couldn't help but blame herself for Jak's death even if it was out of her hands.

They continued to ride stopping every once in a while to rest their horses and to try and eat themselves. Setsuna had observed that Haruka had grown more reserved since Jak's death and knew she was slowly going to boil over at one point. However she had no idea just what would set off that inner turmoil going on deep within the blonde, and soon she felt it herself. In the pit of her stomach she could feel a great pressure building which would probably explode once the group got within Dodge City again. It had been the governor who had placed the bounty and caused this entire mess and she couldn't help but feel a bit of fury beginning to eat away at her senses. After a few hours, they all mounted up and continued on before reaching Dodge city in four days times.

They carefully walked into Dodge where a mob of people started shouting at the blonde rider calling her a murder and a kidnapper. Haruka ignored the people's calls hearing absolutely nothing as she walked forward on her horse to the jail house with the Marshall. She dismounted and helped Michiru down before tying her horse up and stepping away looking around slowly with cold emerald eyes. The emotions were riding high within her but she felt a calming sensation strike her down as Michiru's hand grasped hers softly.

"I'm not leaving your side, Ruka." she murmured gently.

"Thanks, Michi."

Continuing to hold her hand, the blonde rider walked with her toward the saloon where Governor Kaioh was busy hosting a rally for his supporters. He had no idea his daughter had returned and that the kidnapper was also present in town. However, he was about to find out as Haruka stopped at the doorway. Looking down, she closed her eyes before squeezing her lover's hand a bit harder out of fear. She had been fearful of returning to face the people of Dodge in fear of dying on Michiru. After seeing Jak's body it made the woman realize she had to stop running and do the right thing before more people were hurt because of her and her foolishness. She took a long breath before entering the saloon letting go of Michiru's hand only to step onward through the crowd to stop just a few feet away from the main stage where Haru Kaioh stood. He stopped talking recognizing the woman before having his guards got toward her to grab her. They lunged toward her but soon stopped having pistols aimed in both their directions. The blonde's eyes were cold and heartless as she slowly raised her head up to allow her eyes to lock onto Haru's. The look in those eyes of hers caused the man to shiver with quite a fear. His body refused to move causing him to remain stuck in his position upon the stage.

"Governor Kaioh, you have cost me a great deal with your blasphemous accusations of me stealing your daughter away from you. I never did such a thing as Michiru decided to come with me of her own free will which is something you don't seem to be able to comprehend. I kept her safe from any harm as your fucking dogs tried to corner me. I fought hard to keep them from taking away Michiru's freedom and new life but in the end your hounds won. They killed the only person out here in this country that taught me the meaning of being a free rider. She died because of your bounty crazed citizens and because of your greed, your fucking greed, she was shot in the back!" hollered the enraged blonde.

Her hands quivered causing the pistols in her hand to shake as well. It caused the men the weapons were pointed at to gulp and pray they didn't fire off. Closing her eyes, Haruka fought back the urge to let her fingers pull the hammers back and to pull the triggers. She kept shaking in anger but it all stopped suddenly as a pair of soft arms circled about her waist. The sensation of feeling a loving embrace brought the woman out of the depths of her emotional hell and she slowly lowered the pistols dropping them onto the floor closing her eyes. It had been so tempting to shoot the guards but that was not the reason she had returned to Dodge. Opening her eyes slowly, she felt the arms slip off of her and she watched as Michiru walked to stand in front of her glaring up toward her father.

"You are nothing but a pompous, greedy bastard, Father! Ever since my mother died you have become a tyrant to everyone you used to love and care for and that includes your own people. Have you not ever stopped to think what kind of hell you creating for me by posting that ridiculous bounty?" she roared causing Haruka to be stunned as a result.

"Daughter I-" started the governor before being cut off.

"Don't you dare daughter me you son of a bitch! You caused the only one in this world I love extreme pain by your selfishness and hunger for power. You have no right to call me your daughter any longer you bastard! As far as I am concerned you have no daughter and you can take that five thousand dollar bounty of yours and shove it right up your ass. It means nothing as I wasn't kidnapped in the first place. You're just a deranged man trying to control every aspect in your family's life. Well thanks to you, you have no daughter and you sure as hell aren't going to see me again after today." growled Michiru. She was shaking severely at this point and Haruka moved to grab her shoulders with her hands to steady her.

The governor grew angry and soon moved off the stage toward the two women fully intending on making Michiru pay for her insults. He grabbed one of his guard's sides removing a pistol and aimed toward Haruka's head pulling back the hammer.

"She's corrupted my little girl. You she devil! You caused her to turn into a demon!" he snarled fully intent on pulling the trigger.

People all around backed away from the governor in his deranged state of being in fear for their own lives. Haruka shifted pulling Michiru behind her standing right in front of the governor's loaded gun. Her eyes narrowed and she forced Michiru to stay behind her not wanting her to get injured because of her father's stupidity.

"Do you really have the guts to pull that trigger on someone who has done nothing but protect your little girl from those renegades? Do you really have the balls to kill me out of your own greed and anger? If you kill me, you are no better than the man that killed your wife!" shouted Haruka.

"Who did you...know that?" murmured a rather stunned Governor.

"Because your daughter told me what she remembered after your hired killer slaughtered my one and only family member. She may not have been of my blood but damn it she was like a sister to me!"

Feeling anger rise into his system once more, the man finally got the resolve to pull the trigger. However, with Haruka's last statement about his wife, his aim had lowered from her skull and instead the bullet lodged itself into her right shoulder. Grimacing in pain, the blonde grabbed the injury and watched as the governor aimed again to shoot higher. As he moved to pull the trigger a second time, the sound of gunfire went off but it was not from his gun. The pistol he held dropped to the floor along with the rest of his body as a hole showed through his chest where a bullet had hit him. His body struck the floor boards bleeding out only causing everyone to stare toward the door of the saloon to the shadowed figure with a rifle in hand. The governor's assistant moved forward to check for a pulse but it was useless as the man was dead before he hit the floor.

"He was about to kill someone in cold blooded murder and you were all witness to it." remarked the shooter slowly stepping forward into the light.

Haruka and Michiru turned to look only to relax seeing it was Setsuna who held the rifle. Grimacing, the blonde kept a tight hold on her bullet wound while feeling Michiru hold her around the waist. The Marshall stepped forward before looking to the blonde and her lover. Making a motion with her head, the two began to leave the saloon to find a doctor to repair the damage done to Haruka's shoulder. Michiru didn't even bother to look down to her father having lost all respect for him months ago. She stood by what she said as he was no longer her father. Her only family was the blonde she helped get to the town's doctor to be tended to. Within the saloon, the Marshall took statements to document that she had done her duty protecting an innocent life when they had been threatened. No one objected to that and soon the undertaker came and took the body away. People started to drink again needing the liqour to calm their shaking nerves after what had transpired within the building not noticing the Marshall leave the place.

Setsuna walked on down to the jail house where she took a seat only to grab her bottle of whiskey off the desk uncorking it. Looking to the liquid, she took a few light swigs of it before corking it again and looking all around the office. It no longer meant anything to the woman as it had in the past. Back when things mattered, she had enjoyed her job protecting people from renegade idiots and murderers but not it all seemed too gone for her to handle any longer. She partly blamed herself for not being steadier with her gun two weeks earlier but soon shook the thoughts away remembering what Graywolf had told her. He had been right when saying not to mourn for the loss but rather to move on. Nonetheless, she found herself removing the badge that had been on her chest for the last six years of her life. The metal star gleamed a bit in the light but it no longer held the pride she had those year before. It was dull to her red eyes and slowly, she dropped it and rose gathering up her things out of the jail house. She had no intentions on remaining a Marshall any longer as her heart was no longer in the business and not to mention the federal government could very well come down to investigate the death of the Kansas Governor. They wouldn't be able to prove her at fault though in the future.

Over the course of the next five years, Setsuna had traveled to stay with Graywolf and his people aiding them anyway she could. She taught the native the English language slowly while immersing herself into their culture while remembering where she had come from. The tribe brought her in with open arms and she soon found herself raising an abandoned little girl who she named Hotaru. The girl's mother died during labor and the little child had no one to care for her but Setsuna offered to take the baby in as her own. She bonded with little Hotaru and soon felt more at peace with herself than she had in a long time. The little purple eyed girl was only three years old when Setsuna decided to take a ride up to the old burial grounds in order to put her mind to rest. She ended up taking the young girl with her without expecting to come across the sight she found when she got there.

Over the course of time, Haruka's injury healed thanks to the hands of a talented doctor Mamoru Chiba. He had saved the use of her arm which she was grateful for often giving him money here or there when she could afford to give it back to the town. Since the death of the governor, the town seemed to have settled down enough to be back to as normal as it was before the head hunt for her occurred. She had remained their for a year recovering before taking Michiru with her to settle up in land in Wyoming to start life away from politics and away from the bad memories plaguing her. Michiru had no problem moving on in her life with her beloved lover. She had given up all material things and thrived off living off the basics helping Haruka start a ranch with cattle. She continued to learn many things as Haruka hired native people to aid her with her work. Together they formed a bond and whenever a cow died, she allowed the Indian workers to take the meat without charging them knowing how scarce food was becoming for them. As the fifth year approached, the couple decided to take a trip to the Indian territory to make a visit to a specific location they had not been to in five years. They crossed into the lands and moved on to the burial grounds where they both dismounted and approached the one mound which held special meaning to them both and especially to the blonde. Leaning down, Haruka softly placed the old set of pistols she had been given by the deceased rider onto the Indian spear making the grave. The pistols had served her well over the course of six years but she no longer needed them to survive in the lands. The times had changed and the blonde felt she had to give the pistols back as a gift in thanks to the memory of her fallen mentor. Feeling a tap to her shoulder from Michiru, she turned to look in the distance.

"Who is it, Haruka? I can't make it out." murmured the teal haired woman gently.

"There's only one other person I would think of that would travel to this location. It has to be Setsuna." responded Haruka.

As they watched, the rider emerged closer to the burial mound and soon offered a gentle smile to the two familiar faces. The three women together all smiled remembering one another though soon the couple were introduced to the young Hotaru who remained a bit shy around the new faces. Setsuna chuckled lightly at the sight though soon silenced herself noticing the pistols hanging off the spear on Jak's grave.

"I see you brought them back." she sighed gently.

Haruka nodded. "Yeah, I don't have use for them anymore so I figured I'd bring them back here where they rightfully belong. I mean, she would have wanted them back eventually."

Michiru smiled a little at the memory of Jak joking with Haruka and her calling her Blondy quite a bit. "Well, she seemed that kind of woman. After all, Blondy you sort of drifted away from needing to use guns like you had to as a Pony Express rider those years ago."

The blonde chuckled at the nickname her lover spoke. "Yeah, I don't need em and damn I miss her too."

"We all miss her, Haruka. Believe me we all do but I think she'd be proud to see what you have accomplished with your life with Michiru included with it." remarked Setsuna softly.

Hotaru stepped forward to the burial mound not really understanding what it was since she was so young. However, she removed the small little necklace she wore about her neck with a few wolf fangs placing them on the ground next to the base of the spear. Watching the sight, the women all couldn't help but smile faintly but they all stopped looking to one another as the sudden cry of a hawk echoed all around them. They all looked up to the air finding a large hawk circling above them before giving off another screech. In turn, they all smiled but Setsuna couldn't help but let a tear fall remembering the final words of her lover those years ago. While the adults were distracted, Hotaru looked up to the sky and watched as a feather came floating down from above. She reached out and caught it before lightly touching the edges keeping her eyes on the wing feather. After a few minutes, Setsua glanced back toward her daughter and smiled even more noticing the feather in her grasp. Haruka and Michiru gave each other soft smiles and kissed one another before looking toward Hotaru as she handed the feather to her mother.

Softly stroking the feather, the woman closed her eyes as another screech sounded off. "I'll always love you, Jak. Thank you..." she whispered.

The hawk soared down lower and lower toward the group of people before veering off away from them flying above the plains. The animal eventually vanished off in the horizon as the group of friends made their way to the tribe grounds for a feast in honor of the fallen in the past.

* * *

**There we go, that's the end of the story. For some reason, I just couldn't stop writing today and had to finish it. I hope you all enjoyed reading it and I want to thank all the reviewers for all your comments. I hope to write something else in the future. Thank you all for sticking around to the end.^^**


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